Just dad

Jeffrey Nattans packed his days with meetings and work events, but his family says he never missed the moments that mattered to them.

“He found a way every time to be there for his family.”

A sudden loss at 59

Nattans, a certified public accountant and partner at Black Diamond Financial, died in his sleep on Sept. 2. He was 59.

Raised on Putty Hill Avenue

Born in Baltimore in February 1967, he grew up with two brothers in a brick rowhome in Towson, raised by his father, mother and stepmother.

Three sports, multiple titles

At Calvert Hall College High School he played soccer, basketball and baseball, winning several state titles before graduating in 1985.

Scholar-athlete at Loyola

He played Division I basketball and soccer at Loyola University Maryland, was named 1988-89 Northeast Conference Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and graduated summa cum laude.

Goose goes pro, then to finance

Nicknamed Goose, he played briefly for the Maryland Bays before retiring in 1990. Then came Goldman Sachs, Legg Mason, Sagamore Ventures and a Harvard MBA in 1996.

Pay it forward

He chaired Calvert Hall's board and served as a trustee at Loyola and Catholic Charities. He and his wife Karen, his college sweetheart, funded scholarships at both schools.

“He went through high school, college and his MBA on scholarships and he wanted to help do that for other people.”

He stayed for the students

Loyola's advancement chief Brian Oakes said Nattans went beyond board meetings, getting to know students in classrooms and on fields. In 2024 he walked the Ignatian pilgrimage through Spain and Italy.

“I think he probably didn't realize how much he inspired them.”

Horses, Section 141, cold Michelob

Off the clock he fed the horses near his Phoenix, Maryland home and watched every Ravens home game with his family. Services are Sept. 17 and 18, with donations asked for the family scholarship funds.