Nat died in his sleep while on tour with Toby Keith in Nashville, Tennessee on July 19, 2007. Soon after his very untimely death, this web page was created to share the thoughts and feelings of many friends and family.
My apologies for adding these comments in my name. Nat's sister Kathy sent these to me, and I did the cut and paste thing because I thought it important to get these on here....
You can reach Nat's sister, Kathy Turco, here at Alaska Spirit....
Read more about Nat's PASSION FOR PYRO and much more on a web page about his life.
We hope you'll continue to add your comments, and will return to add your thoughts and memories, or just stop by to see who has added their Nat stories. Also check back for more on the Nat Turco Memorial Pyro Fund
Give Kathy a shout...she would love to hear from you!
SEE SLIDESHOW ABOUT NAT
NATALE 'NAT' ALBERT TURCO, 50, died in his sleep while on tour with Toby Keith in Nashville, Tennessee on July 19, 2007
Nat was born on March 17, 1957 and grew up in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Nat is survived by his father, Dr. Vincent 'Bob' Turco, and mother, LaVerne 'Lovey' Turco, of Wakefield. Nat is also survived by two sisters, Patricia A. (Turco) McConnell of Wakefield and Katherine R. Turco of Fairbanks, Alaska and two brothers, Vincent J.P. Turco of Kingston, Rhode Island, and Keith Turco of Durango, Colorado. He was the beloved uncle of Molly and Adam McConnell of Wakefield, and Rae and Joseph Turco of Kingston. Nat is the nephew of Robert and Dolores Safko of Newbury, Ohio; Edward and Rita Oktares of N. Olmstead, Ohio; Claire and the late Everett Peduzzi of Westerly, Rhode Island; Arthur and Esther O'Neill of Pawcatuck, Connecticut; and the late Joseph and Margaret Gomes of Westerly. Nat was the grandson of the late Natale and Rosina Turco of Westerly.
In his early twenties, Nat left the East Coast to follow his passion for alpine skiing, which led him into avalanche control at Alpine Meadows Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, California. For the past 25 years, Nat made his home in Truckee, California where he loved living in the mountains close to Lake Tahoe. He expanded his work as a blasting engineer beyond avalanche control and then branched off into the field of pyrotechnics, where he did fireworks displays for professional sporting events and concerts including the Superbowl, The National Hockey League, Boston Pops Orchestra, Chris LeDoux, the Back Street Boys, the Rolling Stones, Chayanne, the Professional Bull Riders, and Toby Keith. No matter how much he traveled, Nat considered Truckee his home, where he enjoyed taking care of his property through the seasons. He never tired of telling stories about his life on the road and the great people he worked with who, like his friends in Truckee, he considered part of his extended family. Getting weary of life on the road, Nat was planning to teach pyrotechnics and blasting so that he could share his knowledge and experience in the field. Throughout his life, Nat remained a kind and genuine person who maintained strong ties with his parents, siblings, and extended family. He will be greatly missed by all his family and friends; the pain of losing Nat will be felt everywhere.
As he requested, Nat is buried next to his grandmother and grandfather at St. Sebastian Cemetery in Westerly, Rhode Island. A memorial fund is being established in Nat's name for the promotion of safety and professionalism in pyrotechnics and blasting. Donations may be sent to: The Nat Turco Memorial Fund, 77 Main St., Wakefield, RI 02879. There will be a gathering in honor of Nat in Truckee; the date has yet to be set. For more information, please email his sister Kathy at kath@alaskas-spirit.com or call her at (907) 455-4286
As he requested, Nat is buried next to his grandmother and
grandfather at St. Sebastian Cemetery in Westerly, Rhode Island. A
memorial fund is being established in Nat's name for the promotion
of safety and professionalism in pyrotechnics and blasting. There
will be a gathering in honor of Nat in Truckee; the date has yet to
be set. For more information, please email his sister Kathy at
Kath@alaskas-spirit.com or call her at (907) 455-4286.
Please consider donating to Nat's memorial fund, which
has been established as a permanent endowment. Learn about
what the fund will support in Nat's honor below.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE NAT TURCO MEMORIAL FUND FOR AVALANCHE,
BLASTING, AND PYROTECHNICS SAFETY
The Nat Turco Memorial Fund for Avalanche, Blasting, and Pyrotechnics Safety is being held and managed as an endowment fund by a non-profit organization located near Nat’s home called the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation. To learn more, go to www.ttcf.org or call 530-587-1776. To send a donation make a check payable to “Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation” and on the memo line write “The Nat Turco Memorial Fund.” Mail to: Box 366 Truckee, CA 96160. Send an email to Nat’s sister Kathy at kath@alaskas-spirit.com to say you have made a donation and she will inform you about your tax deduction.
The purpose of the endowment fund is to support safety education associated with Nat’s dual profession of snow & rock blasting and pyrotechnics for perpetuity.
Nat’s snow and rock blasting career was started and developed in the Truckee-Tahoe area. The fund will support efforts associated with local avalanche forecasting, both local and national mountain safety for all ages, and all safety aspects of avalanche control. This will also include safety working with dynamite, any education associated with shot design and hands-on field training, blasting safety curriculum development, study aids for obtaining blasting licenses, and professional think tank meetings for both snow and rock blasting. The fund will support local and national youth, communities, students, and professional educational venues including non-profit educational web sites or the development of web sites geared towards safety education. The fund will also support education scholarships including travel to professional meetings that emphasize blasting safety, and the development of seminars, professional meetings, and curriculum about blasting safety.
Nat’s pyrotechnic training also started in the Truckee-Tahoe area and the Sierras. The fund will support a series of safety training classes and activities associated with fireworks displays and usage in the area. It will especially support pyrotechnic professionals on the road working for national and international tours, including rock groups, country stars, bands, bull-riders, sports events, orchestras, or any public display of pyrotechnics both indoors (proximate) and outdoors. The fund will support youth, community, and students learning about fireworks; the establishment of web pages and web sites devoted to safety education to reach as many people as possible; and scholarships & travel to professional meetings that emphasize safety training. The fund will also support the development of meetings and curriculum about using pyrotechnics safety, and the education of fire service professionals in regulating these events
BACK TO THE MEMORIAL PAGE
