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Condolences:

April Tice

Trish - My deepest sympathies. May you find comfort in cherished memories and strength in the love and support of those around you. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

John and Anna Rougas

Tom and Trish we just want you to know our love and prayers are with. Nathan was always such a giving person and a wonderful young man he will be missed tremendously.

ET and Elaine Wilcox

Tom, Trish, and Wayne, you and remaining family are in our heart and prayers. With deepest sympathy.🙏🏻🙏🏻

Mike and Charlotte Bowling

Donnie and Jan Nabors

Please accept our deepest sympathy for this unimaginable loss. We have always heard wonderful things about Nathan.

Kim Sartor

Trish/Tom, I am so sorry for your loss. You & your family are in my thoughts and prayers!

Brenda Hooper

My prayers of strength, comfort and love are being sent to you.

Diane Griffin

I'm so sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you.

Cal Jackson

Trish, my friend...I am sending you so much love, strength and comfort.

Andrea Moore

Trish, I am so sorry for your loss. You & your family are in our thoughts.

Carol and Ken Copithorne

Trish and Tom, our thoughts and prayers are with you. Please accept our sincerest sympathy on your loss

Carolyn Mobley

Trish, so sorry for your loss. Will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Genie Duggan

Dear Trish and Tom, Please accept my deepest sympathy for your loss.

Rita Jane Hall

Nate!!! I loved you so much, i loved every single thing about you. Your BIG HEART that was so full of love and your soul and spirit. You were someone that anyone could look up to and should look up to because you were so sweet and would help anyone you could. Gahhhh Nate i still cant believe this happened. But please Nathan watch over me like u always have and im sure you always will. I love you homie and you will be missed more than you know. Rest easy!!! And help keep us all safe. Its still so weird i spoke with you like 10 or 12 hours before you passed...but at least i got to tell you i love you. NATE YOU WERE THE BEST THERE EVER WAS AND I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU I LOVE YOU AND WILL MISS YOU SO MUCH.

Kathy Pfeifer

You will be dearly missed ! May your adventures continue in heaven. Love Kathy

Nathan VanBeek

2024-02-08

Nathan VanBeek, 34, passed away on February 8, 2024. He was born on February 21, 1989 to Tom and Trish VanBeek. While Nathan grew up in the Fernandina Beach area, he had a dream as of young boy of living in North Caroliina. This dream was driven by his passion for racing and he often shared his dream with his Nana on his frequent after school rides.
Nathan made his dream a reality when he moved to North Carolina around the age of 24. He had earned a certification in HVAC and felt he could earn a living utilizing this in North Carolina. He first moved to Garner, North Carolina but after a few years he knew it was time to move from apartment living and purchased his home. Nathan continued to pursue his racing dreams through race promoting and with the support and encouragement from great friends like Tony Wilson and his family, he started the successful Carolina Extreme Pro Mod series. It pleased Nathan that he was able to put on races which brought in many of his idols that he grew up watching.
But, Nathan felt it was time for him to get back in a race car and a few years back, his father, Tom, let him take over the wheel of his 1988 Top Sportsman Beretta. That year, Nathan finished 2nd in the IHRA world championship missing out on first place by 5 points. Nathan always told his dad if he had let him start that season driving, he would have finished in first place but he was only joking as he really enjoyed watching his dad race as much as he loved to race. He recently purchased his first dragster and was loving being back at the racetrack as a driver.
Nathan had so many friends he met and made through racing and while it may have started with “hey, Nathan aren’t you Tom’s son” it soon became “hey Tom, aren’t you Nathan’s dad” which always tickled Nathan.
Nathan loved hunting and as young boys, he and TJ would often take his dad’s ladders to the woods to be used as “tree stands.” He secured hunting land in recent years and his goal was to create a hunting camp feel he had grown to love while visiting and hunting with his Wisconsin family since he was baby. Nathan’s Uncle Bob and Aunt Deb opened their home every Thanksgiving for gun hunt season and Nathan truly loved being there hearing the hunting stories each year no matter how many times they may have been told, hunting in the snow and just being with family. Nathan shared his love of hunting with his friend Ryan, cousin Rob and nephew Carson in North Carolina. He would tell his mom and dad that while seeing deer was great, sharing this with people he loved was what meant most to him. He never really talked about the deer they got or didn’t get, it was always about how’d they laugh so much their faces would hurt. He also introduced the guys to his version of a low county boil and that soon became the highlight of hunt camp. For Nathan, it was all about creating memories and traditions.
Nathan was the baby of many cousins on both his mom and dad’s side of the family. We would often hear stories of how Nathan got preferential treatment from grandmas, aunts and uncles. But it was never said with malice because it was hard to stay mad with Nathan.
People gravitated to Nathan’s kind heart and gentle spirit. He never judged but welcomed all walks of life into his circle. He leaves behind his mom and dad who will miss him more than words can express, his brother Wayne (Stacy), sister Shannon, and many aunts, uncles nephews and cousins and special friends who will make sure that Nathan is never forgotten. Nathan was embraced by many who were waiting for him in heaven.
Funeral Services will be held Friday, February 16, 2024 at 2:00 PM in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors. The family will receive friends beginning at 1:00 PM.
He will be laid to rest at Green Pine Cemetery.
We will miss Nathan’s smile, his quick wit, the way he liked to tease and pick on those he loved, his ability to follow his dreams and make them a reality, his passion for racing and hunting, his friendship that never wavered, his love of family, and the way he valued the important parts of life. He was never pretentious – he was what his mom always encouraged him to be – A Simple Man.

Memories

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