We have made several attempts to gather the right words
to honor our beloved Dad. We have found difficult things prove to be daunting, and even simple things are difficult. Our efforts have been hindered by a fresh wave of grief that hits us each time we think of Dad and try to write about him. Our hearts
led us to share the following.

It is with great sorrow, yet even greater privilege, that we present heartfelt sentiments about Harold Edward “Pete” Nash who entered this world on December 5th, 1956.

Originally from Houston, TX, Pete moved to Lake Charles, LA at the age of ten. He grew to embrace many of the traditions that have long been a part of Southwest Louisiana life. He enjoyed fishing, crabbing, crawfish boils, gardening, cooking,
and a few homegrown rules for raising kids. As a business owner, he never shied away from hard work, leading by example. He was a devoted boss who didn’t stray from high standards. He owned and operated Nash Fence since 1989. His strong faith in
Jesus Christ was exemplified by belief that prayer could change anything, trusting just as strongly that loving others was the way to go- always, and under all circumstances. Pete drove his mother to church every Sunday- until COVID became a concern.
He then embraced technology and made the necessary adjustments to livestream church services from her home.

Dad utilized technology to show his love and stay connected with his family. His daughter Lacey would often get texts
requesting updates on her family, and his daughter-in-law Brittney would frequently get similar requests for pictures of the newest grandbaby, Sawyer Claire. His kids looked forward to receiving their weekly group text every Sunday morning saying
“Church!! Love y’all.” During COVID, the Sunday text transitioned to “Say a prayer, love you, wash your hands.”

Many of our cherished memories center around “the camp.” It all started one day when he excitedly told our Mom,
“Wait ’til you see what I found today!” He said they just had to have it and “the kids will love it.” What he found, purchased, built on, and nurtured was a beautiful piece of property that became known as “the camp.”

Through
all of life’s ups and downs the camp provided treasured times of peace, comfort, recreation, celebration, and bonding. Although it was our family camp, Mom and Dad were always generous with it, both with their friends and ours too. The camp hosted
family reunions, church revivals, school field trips, birthdays, and holiday gatherings.

Fishing, crabbing, and gardening at the camp helped supply one of Dad’s passions- cooking, preferably in his “Fry Daddy Fryer.” When
frying something up, he would often say, “A man needs two things, I can’t remember the first, but the second is a Fry Daddy Fryer.”

Our Dad enjoyed a good sunrise and a good sunset. He had a contagious laugh and great sense of
humor. He watched every John Wayne movie ever made and every single episode of Bonanza. When he wasn’t working, he was enjoying his hobbies and his family. He packed as much as he could into every single day knowing that life is short. On Thursday,
September 3rd, 2020, Pete was involved in an auto accident. He was airlifted from Lake Charles to Lafayette to be treated for injuries incurred during the accident. Initially, it was thought he would make a complete recovery, though it would be a
lengthy road. After spending over a week in the hospital, never having regained consciousness, he suddenly began to experience complications. With the comfort of “Amazing Grace” playing softly, Nick, Bryan, Garrett, Lacey, and Ginger surrounded Pete
and we all spoke of the wonderful memories we shared with him. We thanked him for the immense amount of love and good memories he brought to his family, assuring him that courage would be found to sustain each other through the sorrow and grief to
come. On Sunday, September 13th, 2020, we devastatingly lost our Dad from this earthly world. In keeping with Dad’s expressed wishes, he was cremated after his passing.

Pete is survived by his daughter, Lacey (her children,
Olivia Jane, Lance, Grace, and Ronnie); his three sons, Nick (wife, Brittney and their daughter, Sawyer), Bryan (partner, John), and Garrett; his mother, Enell; and siblings: Dale (Phyllis), Dwight (Bonita), Deborah, Telisa (Ferren), and Reggie
(Peggie). Pete was preceded in death by brother, Corliss, and father, Julius. We are most appreciative to all who have reached out through cards, calls, texts, and other means to express their condolences. Each kind and encouraging word has brought
us much needed respite.

If anyone has thoughts or stories of Pete they’d like to share with the family, please email them to nashfence@msn.com

The last
words Dad was known to speak- “Make sure my kids know how much I love them.”

Dad, we love you and miss you. So much.