NATHAN WILSON

Nathan “Nate” Wilson died May 5, 2010.

He was born Feb. 17, 1940, in Rapid City, S.D. He spent his early youth excelling in school and working as a ranch hand in the summers. A renaissance man from early childhood, he could build, repair or create. He attended Morningside College in Gunnison, Colo., where he received a master’s degree in performing arts.

In 1967, he married Luanne Dagen. Ever the dreamer, Nate loaded up and came north to Alaska in 1970.

He worked with strings students, orchestras and quartets at high schools and grade schools for the Anchorage School District. There are hundreds of young people who had the honor and benefit of his passion for playing beautiful music. With a teaching career as his main priority, he also adopted the Alaska lifestyle. He found the challenge of working in the mud on his set net site and also building several houses in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. There was the fun of restoring vehicles: cars, planes and his famous Moosemobile. He took pride in being able to help his friends fix their machines or structures. The moose were never safe in the fall as the consummate hunter would be on the prowl.

Nate retired from ASD in 1990. He tried being an active person doing all the things he had looked forward to doing. His teaching career started over when he began at the Mat-Su Alternative School. This man of “fine arts” was one of the key staff members who helped build the school. There was no subject he couldn’t teach and never a student he couldn’t reach. He took a crew of teen parents and helped them restore an old VW. They sold the car and divvied up the profit.

He retired again in 1977 and moved to Estacada, Ore., becoming a tree farmer and traveling all over the country.

The violin of Mr. Wilson has gone silent; however, his many students will continue to make beautiful music.

He is survived by his wife Luanne, daughter Sarah and son-in-law Tim.

There will be no funeral, at Nate’s request.