A life cut short, but an exemplary trail blazed

By Mitch Friedman, Executive Director

My family suffered an incredible loss on August 4th, when my nephew died due to an accident. In Gregory Friedman’s passing at just 27 years, the world was denied so much beauty and promise. I’m deeply grateful to the many people who donated to Conservation Northwest in his memory. Carrying on to protect nature, which was dear to Greg, is all I can think to do.

More than 1,200 people came from across the country to celebrate Greg’s life. They included the woman who he was about to engage, the sensei who trained him to win national karate championships as a boy, his fraternity brothers from Tulane University, and the entire football team from where his legend stands a decade on. We heard tear-soaked stories from lifelong friends who revered Greg for his wit, humility, artistry, and deep intellect, and counted on him for his thoughtful perspective. He was kind and attentive to all. The event spiked sales of Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael, Greg’s favorite book, which explores the human relationship with nature. He shared violent video games with his contemporaries, symphony with my mom, and classic poems with my dad.

My family is enduring great pain from this loss. I lament the many more talks, hikes and games we should have shared. But I treasure many personal memories and value that a life cut so short was yet so full and left such an indelible mark. Greg Friedman lives on in the lives he touched and exemplary trail he blazed.