Wells Riford Preston

Wells Riford Preston was born in New York on July 30, 1985 – the third of three children of John and Janet Preston. He spent most of his childhood in Westport, Connecticut, with his parents and two older sisters, Regan and Lilly.
He discovered his love of the outdoors at an early age, spending summers canoeing and portaging Lake Temagami in Canada at Camp Keewaydin, where, for the first time, he navigated with a compass, cooked over open fires, and slept in a tent under the stars. In high school, he continued to hone his outdoor skills on NOLS trips in the Cascade Range, where he'd later return as an adult to summit several of its highest peaks.
Growing up, part of the summer was always spent in St. Joseph, Michigan – St. Joe, for short – where his grandparents lived, and where his immediate family would reunite with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Days were spent more outside than inside, and more in Lake Michigan than out; nights always ended with ice cream.
To rivers and lakes, Wells added the sea in high school, learning to sail at the Long Shore Sailing School in Westport, and then racing at Tabor Academy in Massachusetts. Years later, he'd teach youth sailing and kiteboarding, and take his nieces out whenever he could borrow a boat.
Wells went to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, where studied creative writing, literature, and religion, areas he continued to learn about and focus on long after graduating in 2008.
By the time Wells started college, his parents had moved to Miami, allowing him to make the drive home on long weekends and consume unreasonable amounts of his mom's cooking.
St. Pete was where Wells first met Christine Lupo. He was teaching English at a local high school and had stopped at a neighborhood print shop to prepare materials for his students. Chrissy was behind the counter, ready to lend a hand.
A few days later, their paths crossed again – this time at the Emerald, a legendary dive in St. Pete
– where they found themselves seated next to each other at the bar. Within weeks, they were spending every day together, beginning a partnership that would define and enrich both of their lives.
Wells and Chrissy moved to Seattle in 2010, lured by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. They drove cross-country to get there and, from then on, were forever tied to the West. Seattle was where they adopted their first beloved traveling companion: a retired military service dog, Sarah.
Wells and Chrissy got married in 2014, in the town of Leavenworth, outside Seattle, where they danced to bluegrass music under big pine trees and bigger mountains until the lights went out.
They moved to Portland, Oregon a few years later, where Wells' sister Regan and her growing family had settled. Wells' dad relocated there next, followed by his sister Lilly and her family, putting all the Prestons in one place for a magical stretch.
But for Wells and Chrissy, Seattle and Portland were just home bases – or, better said, base camps – from which they set out for adventure.
Their main stomping ground was the Pacific Northwest, but they ventured far beyond it, eventually adding a second dog – Ranger – to their pack.
In 2023, Wells and Chrissy bought a camper van – Vandalf the Grey – further enabling their wanderlust. They went as far south as Baja, Mexico, and as far north as Alberta, Canada, as well as to every National Park west of the Rockies – clocking 30,585 miles in just two years.
Wells always traveled with a camera, capturing the landscapes that brought him so much joy, and sharing his photos – on Instagram under the handle inthewind.photography, and, if you were lucky, in a frame for your birthday or Christmas.
In his photos – as in the stories he shared of hiking, climbing, skiing, fishing, kiteboarding, and simply breathing the air in these majestic places – Wells made you feel his reverence for nature and the spirituality it stirred in him.
He loved playing the role of host and guide, whether preparing a big meal at a campsite, leading a hike, or pointing out a constellation in the sky.
An avid gift giver, he dedicated considerable time to selecting objects people would love – a novel, a rare bottle of mescal, a Pendleton handkerchief – and, after giving them, always wanted to know if he'd hit the mark.
He was a wonderful cook, hosting an annual Friendsgiving complete with a deep-fried turkey and his mom's apple pie.
He had a prodigious appetite, and liked to amuse his nieces by putting entire cookies, cupcakes, smores, donuts, and other items that should not be eaten all at once into his mouth, whole – and then chewing and swallowing.
When he went out for Chinese food (Wells' mom, Janet, was Chinese American), it was understood that Wells would order – and finish by himself – an entire portion of sesame chicken. Breakfast was almost always fried eggs and ham, washed down with a big glass of orange juice.
He had long arms that he would stretch out toward you to give you a hug, and always ended conversations and hang outs by saying to friends and family, "I love you."
While Chrissy, Sarah, and Ranger were Wells' inner circle, they built a community around them – people who shared their love of the outdoors, board games, live music, and Burning Man. Wells was always weaving together the threads of his extended family, introducing people who shared his passions, spreading the gift of friendship to those who shared it with him.
He died on August 16, 2025.
Wells is survived by his wife, Chrissy; his sisters, Regan and Lilly; brothers-in-law, Jordan, Nik, and James; sisters-in-law Meghan and Sally; and nieces, Maylin, Marlowe, Daphne, Oona, June, and Pepper.
A memorial for Wells Preston will be held on Sunday, November 16th at 10am at Tampa Bay Watch in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Donations may be made in his name to the National Parks Conservation Association or the Natural Resources Defense Council.