Nathan Paul Bahner '01

• August 14, 2012 by Mercer Island Patch

Nathan Paul Bahner was born on October 1, 1978 in Anchorage, Alaska.  He died on August 10, 2012 in a wake-boarding accident off Mercer Island, WA. 

Nate’s family moved to Mercer Island when Nate was 6 months old. He attended Emmanuel Day Preschool where he first met Mollie LeClercq.  

Nate had an unrelenting energy, vitality and zest for life. “He was an extremely active child,” his Dad said in a moment of vast understatement. His Mom enrolled him in soccer at age 4 just, as she put it, “to wear him out”. It didn’t work. Nate’s love of sports was insatiable. Snow skiing, water skiing, tennis, flag football, pickle ball, water polo. In high school he played soccer, football, basketball. He loved them all, but water sports were his favorites. Like his body, Nate’s mind was always in motion. He had a keen intellect and a natural curiosity that led him to discover and mine new areas of knowledge, quickly and in detail. His diverse and ever-evolving interests were a source of great entertainment and education for his family and friends.

At Mercer Island High School, Nate served on the Student Board and also on the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club Junior Board (he later served on the Club board as an adult). His greatest honor, however, was being voted by his class to speak at commencement – an indication of the high regard in which he was held by his peers.

Nate attended the University of Washington, graduating in Communications in 2002. He was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity (“Fiji’s”) and served as rush chairman. Nate loved his time in the fraternity and at the University, and, as always, forged many close and lasting friendships.

After graduating from the University of Washington, Nate held jobs in property management. Nate was the Manager of the Marina Division of LeClercq Marine Construction where his enthusiasm, professionalism and love of people flourished. Nate was the Chairman of the Marina Committee of the Northwest Marine Trade Association.

Family and friends were Nate’s reason for living. It would be hard to draw a line and say this is where Nate’s family stops and his friends start. It was a continuum, a continuum that centered on Mercer Island and the water –specifically, the LeClercq residence where Mollie lived. Nate spent many happy hours and days with the LeClercqs water skiing, boating, swimming, and pushing friends off the dock. It seemed that Nate had adopted the LeClercqs, or they him. Nicky LeClercq was his lifelong friend and was ostensibly the reason he was there, but Nicky had a sister named Mollie, and, as everyone knows now, that Emmanuel Day Preschool crush had never been extinguished. Someone said that they were looking at photos from these years on the lake and noticed that Nate and Mollie always seemed to be in the same photos – not exactly together, but never apart.

Nate and Mollie were married on April 2, 2005 thus culminating a 24 year “courtship”. It was the happiest moment of their lives and a joyous time of celebration for all their friends and family. They soon began preparation for parenthood by acquiring, serially, three dogs: Merlin, Jasmin, and Mookie. Nate once asked his father, “Why did I buy that third dog?” and then promptly went out and bought a cat. And then it was time for the real thing: Fatherhood.  Nate’s Mom recalled enrolling him in a creative dramatics class when he was 3. To her surprise, he loved it. It might seem like a stretch to say that this was preparation for the most important role of his life, but if you saw him playing with his children you could see the elements of performance and the love and joy that ensued. It was theater of the heart. Daniel was the first born in 2006, then Andrew in 2008, and lastly Carmen in 2009. Nate took to fatherhood the same way he did to virtually everything in his life: with passion, energy and unbridled enthusiasm. If you’ve heard the phrase, “the Nate Bahner way” you’ll understand. It involved making sure that fun was had. By everyone.

Nate was the guy throwing himself headlong into life, lost in the joy of the moment. Nate used to debate his boys about who loved whom the most. Daniel, a big fan of Buzz Lightyear, told his dad, “I love you to infinity and beyond.” Nate, momentarily stumped, came back with, “I love you to infinity and beyond… and back again!” That phrase became a part of Nate’s permanent bond with his children. Nate, that’s how much we all loved you. And miss you.

Nate is survived by his beloved wife Mollie Bahner, his sons Daniel and Andrew and daughter Carmen, his mother Ina Bahner, his father Darrel Bahner and Penny Bahner, sisters Ashley Bahner and Lori Rhodes, brothers Brian Bahner (Tammy), Adam Shafer (Holly), and Ryan Shafer(Anh), his father-in-law Sam LeClercq (Melinda and her children Cody and Kristina Hall), his brothers-in-law Sam LeClercq (Sarah) and Nick LeClercq (Kasey).

Ad Astra - Vaughan Mason Jr. '66

Vaughan Mason '66

C Vaughan Mason Jr. March 27, 1943 – March 12, 2012

“His warmth and humanity will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”

Vaughan was born in Los Angeles, California on March 27, 1943. His family moved to Bellevue, Washington in 1953. He graduated from Bellevue High School in the class of 1961, went on to attend Claremont College in California and, as a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, graduated from the University of Washington in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration.

Following college, Vaughan served 16 months in Vietnam as a Second Lieutenant in Army Intelligence as advisor to a South Vietnamese Major General. After returning from Vietnam he traveled through South America, Europe and behind the Iron Curtain for a year with an army buddy. Landing finally in New York City, he borrowed a suit and shoes from another army friend so he could interview at several different department stores, looking for the training he wanted in order to eventually join the family business, Casual Aire, in Bellevue, Washington. He selected Lord & Taylor, where he met his future wife, Lyn Hogen, whom he married a year later in June of 1971.

Vaughan and Lyn were married for almost 41 years. They spent a year, after their marriage, living in Munich, Germany, working at the Bogner clothing factory and traveling before settling down in the Northwest. They made their home in the Bellevue area and raised 3 children while he spent several years working with his father, Clyde Mason, at the Casual Aire women’s fine clothing store.

Among many charitable gifts to his community, Vaughan actively supported the Bellevue School District and Bellevue Rotary. In addition Vaughan was one of the founding members of the Casey Hawkes Memorial Award presented annually to a graduating senior at BHS who most resembles the fine character of an outstanding classmate who died in 1962. With his leadership, this 50 year old coveted award has recently become a National Foundation through Dollars for Scholars. For many years Vaughan was also active in the finance department of his church, Unity of Bellevue, and, along with Lyn, was a beloved member of a meditation group for 21 years. He was a long standing member of the board and past president of the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club.

In 1983 Vaughan became club manager of the new Bellevue Athletic Club. He successfully managed the club for 4 years and went on to manage the Seattle Harbor Club and the Seattle Yacht Club. Thereafter Vaughan sought a different line of work and, for the past 14 years, he was the Northwest regional distributor for WorkSafe Technologies out of California, as master distributor for six states. This company manufactures the leading seismic mitigation equipment that withstands the most powerful earthquakes, keeping businesses running and workers safe. Vaughan was passionate about this meaningful work.

Vaughan and Lyn traveled abroad extensively and especially enjoyed visiting their home away from home on Lake Chelan where the couple hosted family reunions and their condo on Kauai. His favorite pastimes included snow skiing, hunting, fishing, tennis, golf, waterskiing and, most importantly, playing with his eleven grandchildren. Vaughan’s love for Lyn and family inspired his every day, and his positive attitude, great patience, faith and generosity were at the core of his character and everything he did.

Vaughan’s spirit remains with us, teaching all who knew him to love and appreciate the joys of giving and receiving and the meaning of unconditional love.

Vaughan is survived by his wife, Lyn, his daughters Kristi (Jason) Knifong, Kim (Kris) Ritton, his son Ryan and Ryan’s fiancée Monica Rutt, his sisters Dianne Copper and Deb Thorlakson and his parents Ruth and Clyde. He was preceded in death by his grandson Mason Ritton and his brother Jim.

Remembrances may be made to the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club. A celebration of Vaughan’s life is being planned for Saturday May 19th at 1pm. It will take place at Seattle Unity Church, 200 Eighth Ave. N. Seattle WA, 98109.