SEQUIM — A Sequim man who died in a motorcycle wreck last week is remembered by family and friends as a family man, good friend and professional.
A memorial for Jeffrey Nash, 47, is set for 4 p.m. Friday at the Sequim Foursquare Church, 9090 Old Olympic Highway.
The memorial will be for family and friends, said Chris Gibbs, Nash’s employer and personal friend.
Gibbs said he and other friends also are planning a memorial motorcycle ride Sunday.
Body found Saturday
Nash was reported missing last Friday. His body was found Saturday morning at the base of a 50- to 75-foot cliff north of the intersection of Cays Road and Marine Drive, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they believe Nash drove his motorcycle over a cliff overlooking Dungeness Bay.
He leaves behind a wife and five children.
‘Grounded in faith’
“He was grounded in his faith, first and foremost,” said his wife of 13 years, Shayla Nash, on Tuesday.
“He had a strong sense of self — he knew who he was — and the difference between right and wrong.
“And he loved his family from the bottom of his soul,” she said.
At the time of his death, Shayla Nash was on maternity leave from her job at Kokopelli Grill in Port Angeles, and Jeffrey was the sole provider for the family, Gibbs said.
A fund to help the family has been set up at US Bank in Shayla Nash’s name.
A brother-in-law has set up an online GoFundMe account at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Nash. As of Tuesday afternoon, $6,220 had been raised of a $20,000 goal to help the family.
In addition to the funds, friends and community members have been assisting the Nash family.
“I am overwhelmed and I am well taken care of. This is a great community,” Shayla Nash said.
Commercial diver
Nash was a commercial diver for A1 Commercial Diving Services.
“He was one of the best divers I have ever seen,” Gibbs said.
In addition to working together, they were also great friends, he said.
“We rode bikes together,” he said.
Nash spent a night out with friends in Port Angeles on Thursday.
At about 1:45 a.m. Friday, he was dropped off at the Red Lion Hotel with the intention that he would get a room for the night.
Instead, Nash apparently chose to ride his motorcycle home.
After learning that Nash had never made it home, Gibbs organized a search party to scour U.S. Highway 101 and Old Olympic Highway, Nash’s presumed route of travel.
Deputies later found his body.
The initial investigation indicated Nash was northbound on Cays Road and failed to navigate the corner onto Marine Drive.
Investigators do not suspect foul play. The death remains under investigation.
Nash was born in Tucumcari, N.M., and lived in Auburn, Calif., for several years before moving to Washington state.
He had lived in Port Angeles for about 10 years.
In addition to his wife, Nash is survived by his mother, Pat Nash; and his children, daughters Jasmine, 12, Heather, 10, Autumn Rose, 7, Zivah, 4, and Morah, 3 months.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.