Nathanial Scott “Nate” Jacklin, 45, of Williamsburg, Virginia, passed away on November 15, 2022, after a hard-fought battle with brain cancer. A father, husband, teacher, and coach, Nate was loved and respected by all who knew him.
Nate was born on July 10, 1977, to Bruce Jacklin and the late Terri VanSickle in Columbus, Ohio.
After he graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1995, Nate continued his education with a post-graduate year at Mercersburg Academy, a decision that ultimately sent him down his path of academic and athletic excellence.
Following his graduation from Mercersburg Academy, Nate attended the prestigious Columbia University in New York, where he pursued his passions in the city that he loved. He was a member of Columbia’s wrestling team throughout all four years of college, and he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy in 2000.
After Nate’s initial attempt to work in finance, he quickly realized his life’s purpose: he was meant to be an educator. He returned to Columbia University, where he graduated from Teachers College in 2002 with a Master of Arts in Education.
Nate spent six years at North Stafford High School in Stafford, Virginia, where he began his lifelong career as a teacher and coach.
In 2008, he returned to Mercersburg Academy as a history teacher and wrestling coach. He lived and worked for many years in this tight-knit community that cherished him for his dedication to not only his students’ success, but also their wellbeing. Nate, having been a student at Mercersburg, knew the impact that teachers and coaches could have on their students. He strived every day to give his students the same life-changing opportunities that were given to him.
During his 22-year career as a teacher and coach, Nate also worked at Mountain View High School in Stafford, Virginia, and most recently at Warhill High School, in Williamsburg, Virginia. At Warhill High School, he was quick to make his mark on his new community as an AP Economics teacher, AP US History teacher, and co-head wrestling coach.
Nate met the love of his life, Lindsay Beers, in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2004. They have been married for 16 years and have three children together: Hailey, Ella, and Matthew. As a couple, they loved traveling to Europe, going to Avett Brothers concerts, and racing against each other on the Peleton. As a family, they enjoyed spending time together during their yearly trips to New York City and the Outer Banks, watching their beloved Cleveland Browns, and playing with their kitties, Cleo and Scout. A family of athletes, their home was never without friendly competition of all kinds. They always pushed each other to be the best they could be, especially at swim meets and soccer games, where Nate often coached his children’s teams.
The three greatest loves of Nate’s life were his family, teaching, and coaching.
As a father, he encouraged his children to be goal oriented. After each game—whether the outcome was a win or a loss—he questioned them: “Did you have fun? Did you do your best?” If they didn’t do as well as they had hoped academically, he would ask them what they would do differently next time to improve the result.
As a teacher, Nate was a firm believer in active learning. He was constantly planning new ways to keep his students engaged, regardless of their current performance level. He didn’t merely cover the information. Instead, he wanted to stimulate his students’ minds, help them develop a true appreciation for social studies, and instill in them a desire for continued learning.
As a coach, Nate’s work came to him naturally. As a former student athlete himself, Nate knew what winning looked like on and off the mat, and it led him to be much more than merely a wrestling coach. He worked with each athlete using a foundation built upon hard work, self-reflection, and perseverance. He achieved many awards as a coach, but the greatest symbol of his success as a mentor of young men is a video made by his athletes, past and present, who came together to express how much Coach Jacklin meant to them. Each athlete spoke with eloquence and passion, portraying exactly who Nate was as a coach.
He is survived by his wife Lindsay and their three children Hailey (13), Ella (11) and Matthew (9), as well as his father Bruce, his mother MaryLou, and his siblings Amie (Corey) Poindexter, Sara (Clint) Carnes, Taylor (Katie) Jacklin, Logan Jacklin, and Karly Jacklin. He is also survived by his grandmother Mary Jacklin, as well as Lindsay’s family: his mother and father-in-law Shelley and Barry Beers, and his sister and brother-in-law Kelli (Chad) Cooke and Bryan (Beth) Beers. Nate is survived by his many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, students, athletes, fellow teachers, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Harrison Jacklin.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Fred’s Team: an organization of marathon runners who raise money for lifesaving cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering. After undergoing treatment at MSK, Nate ran the New York City Marathon as part of Fred’s Team last year. Nate explained why he took on such a challenge by saying: “I ran because I could, I ran for those who couldn’t, and I finished because I started.”
Nate lived a life of purpose, and he left a legacy of love. He will be remembered for his tenacity, intellect, wit, strength, bravery, and his unending wish to inspire and encourage all those who knew him.
Funeral home : Non applicable
