LEV ETTO GOERTZEL MANN

1995 - 2010

Lev Etto Goertzel Mann, 14, of Sedro-Woolley, died July 9, 2010 of a sudden illness in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

He was born on July 19, 1995 in Aptos, California, the second son of Tony Mann and Rebecca Goertzel.

Lev lived the majority of his first year on Vashon Island then moved to Issaquah, Washington; there he attended Mountainside Preschool. The family moved to Rincon, Puerto Rico, for his kindergarten year where he became bilingual and learned to color outside the lines.

He attended first through fourth grades at the Cloud Forest School in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Lev loved losing himself in the forest and making weapons out of sticks.

The family moved back to the Northwest and Lev attended fifth grade at John Stanford International School in Seattle and sixth through ninth grades in Sedro-Woolley.

He developed a continuing passion for all things medieval knives, swords, armaments, fantasy and fables. He was ardent about the fighting arts: karate, boxing, foam weapons and wrestling. From a musical family, Lev played bass and ukulele and sang. He spent a lot of time in the outdoors with his family, kayaking, biking and hiking, where he loved to go off the trail, climbing triumphantly to the top of every hill.

Self confident and outspoken, Lev was quirky, creative, spontaneous, unpredictable and, at times, defiant. His number one possession was his ever-emerging mustache.

He related well with people of all ages, from playing with little kids who adored him to chatting easily with adults. He frequently gave his belongings to friends, and whatever he had in his pocket he spent on himself or others.

An avid seeker of knowledge, Lev was determined to know more than the person next to him. He loved to role-play, making up elaborate fantasy stories with his best friend Isaiah over long phone calls. Lev was an utterly devoted fan of Metallica, listening to little else. He often thought about death, and asked that "Fade to Black" be played at his memorial no matter what age he died.

Lev's presence could be felt wherever he went, and he never failed to entertain, surprise, and inspire. We will always hold his special, creative spirit in our hearts and minds.

Lev is survived by his parents, Rebecca Goertzel and Tony Mann, and his brother, Jaal, of Sedro-Woolley; his cousins, Zar, Zeb and Zade Goertzel of Rockville, Md.; his uncles, Roger Mann and wife Emily Cowgill of Mercer Island, Doug Mann of Reno, Nev., Joseph Mann of Los Angeles and Ben Goertzel of Rockville, Md.; aunt Tamara Tweel and family of New York City; his grandparents Carol Goertzel and Charlene Flanagan of Media, Penn., Ted Goertzel and Linda Lawton of Medford Lakes, N.J., Bonnie and Sal Tardella of South Norwalk, Conn. and Stephen and Sharyn Mann of New York City; and extended family, Mario Goertzel, John Goertzel and Sue Ellen White, Michael Zwell, Stuart Nalven, Fred Nalven, Caryle Garofalo, Jay Mann, Lillian Goertzel, Ariel Felton, Tamara Guirado, Woody Flanagan, Jim Beckett and their families, as well as many close friends who are like family.

A celebration of Lev's life will be held on Sunday, July 18, 2010 at 2 p.m. at the North Cascades Gateway Center, 24852 Hub Dr., Sedro-Woolley; Northern State off Fruitdale. Follow signs to the old chapel.

Memorials may be made by planting a tree in Lev's name through the Cloud Forest School Plant a Donation program. www.cloudforestschool.org/donate.htm.