Nathan’s Story
Our most generous and humble old soul, Nathan Daniel Javaras, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Hampstead, North Carolina on August 27, 2022. He was just 29 years young.
Nathan was born on June 4, 1993 in Fredericksburg, Virginia to Sharon Hobbs and Daniel Javaras. As a little boy, Nathan could proudly name each Matchbox car in his collection and relished in wearing whatever he wanted, usually a full-blown superhero outfit complete with underwear on the outside. He loved riding minibikes, go-karts, and jumping curbs with his scooter. Snacks, especially those he could dip in sauces, like French toast sticks dipped in maple syrup, were his favorite and he was especially particular about eating cereal without milk. He also loved playing Crash Team Racing with his sister and swinging, zip-lining, and riding bicycles with his cousins.
It was evident even at a young age that Nathan had an exceptional ear for music. Much like the names of the cars in his Matchbox collection, Nathan quickly retained and relayed lyrics to songs he liked, often singing, in perfect pitch, in the car or during impromptu living room dance parties at home.
Like his mother and father, Nathan decided to enter the band while in school. He first joined while attending John J. Wright Middle School, continuing to Chancellor Middle School, and through Chancellor High School. He performed as a percussionist in marching band, symphonic band, and jazz band, even making appearances at school talent shows and playing gigs with local musicians and established bands.
In 2011, Nathan completed a grueling 2 1/2-hour audition for the United States Marine Corps Band. He played drum set, snare drum, and xylophone, ultimately passing what is known as one of the most difficult auditions of the organization. In June, just weeks after his high school graduation and eighteenth birthday, Nathan joined the Marine Corps, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He attended the Naval School of Music (NETC) in Virginia Beach, Virginia and in 2012 was assigned to the 2d Marine Division Band “The Division’s Own” as a percussionist at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. There, he made lifelong friends and climbed the ranks, honorably completing his enlistment as Sergeant in 2015.
After the Marine Corps, Nathan moved to Virginia and pursued a career teaching music. He became an Instrumental Music Instructor at Bach to Rock where he taught children of all ages and skill levels how to play drums, bass, piano, and guitar. His students and their parents would often remark that Nathan was the most patient and talented instructor, requesting him even after he left the organization.
In 2018, Nathan joined Groovalicious, a new disco revival band, and performed as their drummer and occasional [high note] singer. He performed with them live throughout Northern Virginia, and even recorded track covers like Pick Up the Pieces, Good Times, Bad Girls, and more.
In the spring of 2022, Nathan enrolled in the Film and Video Production program to obtain his Associate in Applied Science at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was specifically interested in the technicality that went on behind-the-scenes and had just begun his fall semester during which he’d planned to study film editing and photography. Between studies, Nathan worked at Coastal Fitness, often making light of his duties with hilarious songs and videos.
Throughout his life, Nathan wrote, performed, and recorded original music consistently surprising family and friends with his boundless talent. He was also a repeat concert goer and had the opportunity to see AC/DC, Kansas, Billy Joel, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Styx, and others. He even met some of the artists he idolized. The most notable of them — Rick Allen, drummer of Def Leppard who continued to play even after the loss of his left arm. While classic rock remained one of his favorite genres, Nathan’s musical taste was multi-dimensional. He was a huge fan of alternative Indie singer, Lauren Ruth Ward, and explosive big band sound of funk R&B group, Cory and the Wongnotes.
As much as he loved music, Nathan also adored movies and shows and would attend the movie theater with friends and cousins to catch the latest D.C. or Marvel movies. This adoration of film also led to him performing as an extra in the major motion picture, Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) and the TV series, George & Tammy (2022).
Probably more than music and film combined, Nathan loved animals. He had an especially close bond with his best bud, a Dalmatian-Labrador mix named Domino and would often watch and buy treats and toys for the pets belonging to extended family and friends.
Nathan is preceded in death by his grandfather, Donald Evans and is survived by his mother Sharon Hobbs (Robert) of Spotsylvania, Virginia; father Daniel Javaras (Donna) of Hampstead, North Carolina; sister Amber McCluney (Blake) of Raeford, North Carolina; grandmother Terry Evans of Spotsylvania, Virginia; grandparents Dolores and Jason Javaras of Fredericksburg, Virginia; aunts, uncles, and cousins throughout Virginia, Lisa Perry (Michael), Crystal Farrell (Chris), Lisa Taylor (Scott), W.D. Evans (Mary Grace), Steph Moore (Bill), Mikie Perry (Julie), Meagan Reininger (Tyler), C.J. Farrell (Chelsea), Jonathan McLaughlin, Lindsay Moore, Condissa Evans, Alli Moore, Michael Moore, Majorie Evans, Christopher McLaughlin, John Clark Evans, and Adam Evans; and many, many friends across the country.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local animal shelter and/or Wounded Warrior Project.