Nathaniel Aaron Ekoniak was born in Youngstown, OH on August 8, 1984 the son of Michael R. Ekoniak Jr. and Loretta Hanuschak Ekoniak. He grew up in in Beaver Township and graduated from Canfield High School, Class of 2002. He was very involved in theater in Youngstown, performing with the Youngstown Playhouse, the Oakland Theater and Victorian Players. He graduated in 2006 from the Honors College of Ohio University where he majored in Computer Science and minored in Math and the Japanese language. After graduating from Ohio University, he taught English in Shibushi, Japan for a year before returning to the States. He then moved to Seattle, Washington where he lived for 10 years and worked for Symontek, Inc. designing software for airlines to use satellites to allow passengers to use cell phones while over the ocean. He later worked for Amazon and the University of Washington. He loved his Slovak heritage and was a member of. the American Slovak Cultural Association, FCSLA Br 161 and FCSU Br 731 and studied Slovak at the University of Pittsburgh's Summer Language Institute for 2 summers. He loved to travel and went to Slovakia twice with his parents and brother and to the Czech Republic, Austria and Italy. He also traveled to Germany with the Seattle Men's Choir for a Holocaust Remembrance tour. After 10 years in Seattle, he moved back East where he lived in Pittsburgh for a while and then moved back to Youngstown. Nathaniel passed away on October 14, 2023, while in Sacramento, California. He is survived by his loving parents and his brother Dr. Michael III, his Aunt Marie (Ekoniak) Haring and cousin Chris, his Uncle Del and Aunt Jeanne (Hudson) Hanuschak, Jennifer Hanuschak and Allison Raub, his cousins Michele (Begala) and Dennis Minotti, Jennifer (Minotti) and Justin Viau, JJ and Ani, Dr. Dennis and Brooke Minotti, Sierra and Sydney and his "Uncle" Jimmy and "Aunt" Marni Micholtzick, Scott and Lori Mickholtzick and Aubrey, Drs Jason and Sandy (Mickholtzick) Glagola (Nathaniel's treasured friend), Robert and Beth, and his Japanese "sister" Yoriko Fujii. Nathaniel's dear pets, Tank, Madame and Wide-Eyes were waiting at the rainbow bridge for him. He was preceded by his 4 grandparents, Mike and Marge (Baker) Hanuschak and Michael and Agnes (Novotny) Ekoniak and his Aunt Eleanore (Ekoniak) Janosko who were waiting to lovingly welcome him. I sleep with angels watching me, There's only love up here I'm never lonely or afraid Because God is so very near. Nathaniel has found the peace he searched for. Arrangements handled by Vaschak-Kirila FH Dec.1 with a Celebration of his life 4-6pm, Calling one hour before 10am Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows, St Matthias on Dec 2 Condolences can be sent online to vaschakkirilafh.com Tribute page To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nathaniel Aaron Ekoniak, please visit our floral store.

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Published by Mahoning Matters on Nov. 28, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Nathaniel Ekoniak

1 Entry

Julia Opre

December 1, 2023

"Once My Nemesis, Always My Friend"
Eulogy for a Fallen Frenemy
By Julia Opre

It´s Spelling Bee day in Mr. Maruskin´s 4th grade class again. And I´m in the final two, up against my nemesis again - the dreaded know-it-all Nathaniel Ekoniak.

This happens almost every week, the two of us in a spelldown. We are quite equally matched. I lose quietly, scowling and withdrawn. Nathaniel is more vocal about losing, sometimes giving me a hard time in the days between showdowns. He drives me crazy. I loathe him.

This socially awkward competitiveness comes and goes through the years. We have so many classes together or things in common, and the Spelling Bee days are gone. Over time, we become situationally acquainted and tolerant of one another.

Until Sophomore Year of High School when Nathaniel and my feisty friend Sherry get into a hissing clawing spat during lunch. They were separated and trudged off to the Main Office to face the music together.

Our table of goth-lite misfits was directly next to where Nathaniel sat for lunch. Over the past few weeks, he had developed the annoying habit of listening to our conversations, loudly butting in, and on occasion, verbally sparring with one of us, usually Sherry, whose version of an affectionate greeting was a punch in the arm. We had all seen something like this coming.

The real shock came later, when Sherry and Nathaniel returned, subdued and sheepish, from their punishment: they had been forced to get to know one another. And Sherry informed us that he wasn´t so bad after all, that we should give him a chance. It turns out, Nathaniel had wanted to be our friend the whole time, and his many, many provocations were his socially awkward attempts to do so.

Nathaniel regularly joined in our lunch conversations after that. I actually liked this kid, my 4th grade nemesis. The former tension was worn away by friendship.

We invited Nathaniel to come on some of our bohemian bonfires and camping trips in the next few years, but my favorite was the Harvest Feast. The fire was big and bright, the food was pleasant, and the conversation was merry, lasting until late in the night. Nathaniel became instant friends with two people that night, Stacy our friend from Western Reserve and my older sister Hannah. They were inseparable all evening, constantly chattering and giggling away about something.

We all finally piled into the large tent, a mass of happy, tired, and wildly underprepared teenagers huddled together under their blankets like a pack of cold, tired puppies. But guess which someone did not go quietly into that good night? Guess which three someones? It took them forever to wind down the giggling. As soon as we got them quiet again, one of them would remember something funny, and then they´d all three be going at it again.
I mean, I was vastly irritated at the time. God, 2 a.m. and still giggling away! We were this close to smothering them with pillows.

I can still hear it, that giggling. But I see it now for what it was then: harmonious torrents of childlike joy and effortless fellowship and true affection. It´s become my favorite memory of him.

Looking back on it now, on the whole complicated course of our knowing one another I feel nothing but love for Nathaniel, my nemesis-turned-friend. 4th-Grade-Me would be appalled by this truth. "I just want him to go away" was how I felt then. "I can´t believe he´s gone" is how I feel now.

You won´t be forgotten, my friend. Pass gently and laughing into that good night, and keep the angels awake instead.