To know Ian Adam Nathanson “was to know someone who lived with enormous curiosity, creativity, and heart,” his friend Sonny McWilliam wrote in an obituary posted on the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home website. “A true renaissance man and lifelong autodidact, Ian was endlessly fascinated by the world and delighted in exploring it from every angle.”
Mr. Nathanson, who was 45, died of a heart attack on March 10 while working on his property in Springs.
“I want to thank the Springs Fire Department,” his mother, Eve Taylor, said this week.
Described as “an incredibly sharp tech nerd and ambitious producer,” Mr. Nathanson wrote and produced video games for Bungie and Netflix. “He found genuine joy in building a career around one of his lifelong passions,” his friend wrote, adding that his enthusiasm for the work made it “feel less like a job and more like an extension of who he was.”
But his creative passions and pursuits did not stop there. He wrote poetry, children’s books, and screenplays, painted, and developed and produced films.
“He could hold a thoughtful conversation about almost anything while making you feel like the most interesting person in the room,” Ms. McWilliam wrote. “Talking with Ian often meant learning something new or igniting a renewed passion and curiosity — and usually receiving a few follow-up links to take you further down your chosen rabbit hole.”
Mr. Nathanson was born in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 4, 1980, to Seth Nathanson and the former Eve Bohrer. He grew up in Springs, where he completed eighth grade, and in Georgia, graduating from Chattahoochee High School before going on to the Savannah College or Art and Design. He studied art and film in college, his mother said.
“Ian was a visionary in many ways, but one of his greatest talents was seeing the goodness and potential in the people he chose as his own, and painting such a vivid picture of it that you almost believed you could become the extraordinary person he thought you to be,” Ms. McWilliam wrote.
He was “strange in the most delightful ways, and utterly unforgettable. . . . At nearly seven feet tall, often dressed head to toe in black and wearing sunglasses indoors at night, he certainly made an impression,” his friend recalled. “He lived big in nearly every way. He loved big, laughed big, and even ordered big — often insisting on getting one of everything so he could share it with the table. Ian loved good food, great conversations, and the simple joy of gathering people together.”
“He never met a stranger, and he was loved by many people,” his mother said this week. “His name in Hebrew means laughter, and he had a great sense of humor.”
A “deeply loyal and generous son, brother, and friend,” Ms. McWilliam said, he embraced his role as Uncle Ian to the children of his closest friends. He was an animal lover, and had cats he was especially fond of, having taken in many strays over the years.
In addition to his mother, who lives in Springs and Sparta, Ga., with Mr. Nathanson’s stepfather, Glenn Taylor, he is survived by his father, Seth Nathanson of Old Fort, N.C., a sister, Arielle Nicole Nathanson of Springs, and two stepsiblings, Emma and Alexander Taylor of Pensacola, Fla. He also leaves an aunt and uncle, Ben and Kathy Nathanson of Brooklyn, and two cousins, Anna and Sam Nathanson, also of Brooklyn.
A graveside service was held on March 15 at the Independent Jewish Cemetery in Sag Harbor. A memorial will be held in June.
His family has suggested donations in his honor to the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons at arfhamptons.org.
