# Goose: the scholarship kid who paid it all forward

> Jeffrey Nattans went from a Towson rowhome to Harvard and Wall Street, then spent his life opening the same doors for other kids.
- Title: Goose: the scholarship kid who paid it all forward | Shortify
- Summary: Jeffrey Nattans went from a Towson rowhome to Harvard and Wall Street, then spent his life opening the same doors for other kids. He funded scholarships…
- Keywords: obituary, baltimore, philanthropy, education, scholarships, news, local, Goose, scholarship, kid, paid, all
- Source: The Banner — https://thebanner.com/obituaries/black-diamond-financial-jeffrey-nattans-obituary-XYIW5NXRRFEV7P6JJW6VNXGBIQ
- Author: Ellie Wolfe
- Published: 2026-09-12T09:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: obituary, baltimore, philanthropy, education, scholarships, news, local
## 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.
## Key takeaway

He funded scholarships because scholarships made his own life possible, and he showed up for people in person, not just on paper.