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(Music)
I started working with Nate when he first came to TCC, it was hard to believe but he was real shy.
Nate was an excellent student he began to have more and more confidence in his abilities.
He left lik, "Wow I can really learn this stuff." and he became interested in it.
Despite his circumstances Nate always felt blessed. His education, his employment, his entrepreneurial activities.
He knew exactly the things he wanted to be involved in and he was not afraid to seek them out.
He would get involved in organizations or he would just pick up the phone and say, "You know I really have an interest in this,
how can I get involved. How can I help?"
Nate waters was larger than life he had an infectious smile that could just light up a room, he never met a stranger.
Nate was such a positive person and his heart was filled with nothing but compassion for others.
-Nate's personality was just...infectious. Everybody loved him, he was just a very humble person
I don't think I know of another person that got more hugs than Nate Waters, he was just such a warm person
that you were just drawn to him. I tell ya he could work a room better than anybody... I mean he would know everyone.
He just roped you in to whatever he was doing because he was so positive.
He helped us look at others and always want to find something everyday to help someone else.
He came to my class and talked to my students and really inspired them to, you know, get going and do what they have to do.
He was so inspirational and there was so many things he could've hated the world for. Any time you tried to help him
he really was helping you in the end.
Nate lived by the motto "To whom much is given, much is expected"
He had so much to give, guided by his spirit very motivated a person that cared. He loved people, he wanted the best
for everyone, that was Nate he'd always try to help others. It made you want to be a better person.
People were drawn to him and he was drawn to you. And when he would come up and meet you he would say, "How are you?"
and he really truly wanted to know how you were. You felt like it was a gift he gave you almost.
Nate loved the Tulsa Community and he worked diligently to try and make it stronger. From accessibility and transportation ans advocacy
to economic development to community revitalization to political campaign. Nate was involved in a little bit of everything in Tulsa.
this made Nate stronger, but Tulsa's stronger because of Nate.
We all have a, um, soft spot for anybody who feels disadvantaged
or doesn't quite have the same opportunities as someone else... he felt... you could just tell personally
for anybody who was either stigmatized by something he was able to make those doors open
and get into the individual piece of the puzzle that he was looking for.
Five or six years ago the media had announced that Nate Waters was going to receive a home from Harold Ham.
I called Nate and offered my services to help pick up furniture, they had a floor plan design.
We'd been friends for several years but we got to be really good friends. Nate became an extended member of my family.
Over the past several years he did spend Christmas Day with my family.
Nate and I were... best friends. We worked together, we wrote the proposal that he gave to Boon Pickens
to help support him going to where he received hos physical therapy.
We were looking for ways to honor him and the physical therapy clinic campaign had started,
but was not near completion. It was decided that we should name our physical therapy clinic after Nate Waters.
The building that's going to be dedicated to him at TCC is going to be fantastic, that was one of his goals. He really, really
wanted a place where people could have opportunities to receive opportunities without a lot of cost.
The out pouring of generosity from Tulsa was so tremendous
that we raised more than $200,000 over our goal, and this money will be used for scholarships and an endowment in Nate's memory.
I don't think I'll ever be to another funeral were that many people
from that many diverse parts of life altogether celebrating a common thing.
He really made me a better person.
The Nate Waters physical therapy clinic at TCC will ensure Nate's legacy of service to others
and I think he would be very proud.