Nathan Robert Lavoie, 28 years old died on Jan. 3, 2022, in Provo Utah. Nate had been on a ventilator in the ICU at Utah Valley Hospital for almost a month, fighting for his life against Covid pneumonia. The Lord took Nathan by the hand as a beautiful sunrise shone on the horizon out the window of his hospital room. Nate got the biggest firework in all the solar system—the sun.

Nathan was born July 14, 1993, in Bozeman, Montana. His mother Carol would tell him that his birthday was so close to the 4th of July, the fireworks were for him. After moving several times, his mother and biological father divorced in South Dakota. Carol remarried, making Nathan the beloved stepson of Mark Huebner. Soon after, Nate was joined by two sisters, Natalie and Catherine. Enamored by the beauty of Southern Utah, the family moved to St. George where Nathan started school at Fossil Ridge Intermediate. Nathan wanted a dog so badly we finally gave in and let him pick out a rescue from the St. George shelter named Polly Wolly Doodle Dog. Nate and Polly were as close as a young boy and his dog could be.

Nate had a passion for music, as was evidenced by him learning guitar all on his own and playing piano by ear—both skills that improved to the point where he was writing his own excellent songs. Nathan attended Pine View Middle School when his mother Carol— his math teacher—sat him right in between the two prettiest girls in the class. That shy boy didn’t say a word to either one of them, much to his mom’s chagrin!

While attending Pine View High School, Nathan excelled in math and most importantly to him, was a member of the Trilogy Honor Choir. Never one to jump out of bed early on a school day, Nate was up and out the door by 6 a.m. to practice with this group.

After graduating from Pine View High with honors, Nathan attended Dixie State as well as Dixie Tech, earning several IT certifications. He loved all things tech and became the family “go-to” whenever computer issues arose.

Nathan moved to Provo with his fiancé, Tessa Thompson. The two had plans to marry in the future, go back to school, and start a family. Nathan was planning on studying to become a music therapist—a perfect fit for a young man with a huge heart and an ability to communicate through music. Sadly his life was cut short before any of those things could happen.

Nathan is survived by his mother and stepfather Carol and Mark Huebner, his father Derrick Lavoie, his sisters Natalie and Catherine Huebner, his fiancé Tessa Thompson, and his adorable rescue dog Sokka.

Nathan was kind and truly cared about people, never wanting to see anyone hurting. His friends would describe him as a big-hearted, loyal friend who could always be counted on. His fiancé would say he was her soul mate—the love of her life. His sisters would describe him as their gaming guru and role model. Nate’s stepfather would describe Nathan as a good man whom he was very proud of. His mother—me—I would describe him as my lifesaver, a beautiful dreamer and a music maker. His father has always described him as amazing. His father, although estranged, was able to achieve a deep relationship with Nathan before he passed.

May all the fireworks in the heavens shine for you, Nathan. We love you always.

Services include: A viewing at Hughes Mortuary on Saturday, Jan. 15 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by a graveside service at Tonaquint Cemetery at 1 p.m.

A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on the following Saturday, Jan. 22, at South Mountain Community Church, 3158 E. 2000 S., St. George. The sharing of memories, music and Costco Pizza with lots of ranch dressing will be served in honor of Nate’s favorite meal.

Tribute to Nathan Robert  Lavoie from his Father, Derrick Roberet Lavoie

It is with great sadness that I, Derrick R. Lavoie must write this obituary tribute to my special and only son Nathan Robert Lavoie, who after a long battle with the Covid virus on January 3, 2022. We trust will go on to a heavenly place. Each of us must deal with the sadness of his passing in our own way. We are all left with sad hearts and dreams that will not be realized. We are left with an emptiness that we cannot fill. I feel I have had too little time to share my love and happiness with an incredible guy. ever grateful for the time we did have together. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him. For me, I wish to focus my thoughts on the wonderful memories and feelings we shared over together over the last 28 years.

Over the past several years Nathan would often travel to visit my wife, Lisa, and I in California. We had some amazing experiences together. One memorable experience took place a few years ago when Nathan was able to join my Marine Ecology course which I teach on Catalina Island at the USC Marine Science Center. We hiked mountains, we kayaked the sea, we snorkeled in a beautiful kelp forest, and we explored an old mine in search of ghostly spirits. We could sense something back in the darkness and quickly decided “let’s get out of here now.” Nathan had a deep love of music, which I think anyone who knew him, knew this was true. His songs were filled with joy and love. It wasn’t long before Nathan found a guitar, tuned it, and began to sing songs. He was like a giant magnet. Almost immediately, my students became gravitated to his presence. He shared his feelings and witty humor, which everyone received with open arms. I believe in my heart that Nathan was a good man and would have been a wonderful father.

On his last visit to California, Nathan came with his fiancé Tessa. Tessa proved to be up for most any adventure and I could see how much she adored Nathan. We enjoyed viewing elephant seals near Hearst Castle, looking for geocashe, and taking our dogs (Sacka and Bucky) for a fun day at the dog beach near Avila Beach. Sacka would run up and down the beach with Nathan and Tessa in hot pursuit. Bucky, Lisa, and I sat reclined in the sand as we watched some hysterical antics unfold between Sacka and the encounters he had with many dogs.

At the end of the day, I am grateful that Nathan was an important part of my life and my family. I hope everyone can feel the joy and love I feel and will always feel toward my beloved son.

Final note: I believe that Nathan’s death could have been avoided if he had been vaccinated. I had urged and pleaded with him for over a year to do so. I sent him multiple scientific studies showing the advantages and scientific validity of vaccination. I shared my knowledge of people who I personally knew who had suffered severely for weeks in the ICU. Some made it, some did not. I explained the statistics and probabilities (again scientifically validated) of the survival chances with and without vaccine protection. Vaccine protection far outweighs any contrary anecdotal beliefs. So why take a chance with your life. I urge any of you who are unvaccinated to vaccinate for your family, if not for yourself.

Derrick R. Lavoie