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Nicholas Jordan Start
Born: 12/20/1995
Died: 11/2/2023
Age: 27
Community: Lake Orion and Pinckney, MI
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Start, Nicholas Jordan – Of Lake Orion and Pinckney, age 27, passed away Thursday, November 2 2023 after a tragic car accident.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 5:00 PM, Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Visitation 3 – 5 PM at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Flint, Michigan, Mr. Dan Savoy officiating.
Nicholas was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on December 20, 1995 to his loving parents, Christopher and Larilynn Start.
Nicholas was very passionate about so many things. He truly was a lifetime learner. As a child, it was difficult to keep up with his appetite for books, especially ones about adventuring, animals, and fantasy. (Redwall, an animal fantasy was his favorite series ever.) Although he continued to enjoy these types of stories into adulthood, he also became fascinated by all things scientific – from how molecules interacted in a cell, to the wonders of space.
This store of information was never kept to himself, as he loved to share all he knew with others. Before receiving his Eagle Scout rank in 2013, he spent many hours working with the younger scouts, teaching them the survival skills they needed, and more than likely, a few they didn’t!
Whenever the family was at a zoo or aquarium Nick would frequently adopt someone, always someone older or younger, and give them a personal tour of the exhibits. His knowledge of fish and animals was astonishing. He also adored babies and children, playing peek-a-boo and such whenever he had the chance.
Nick’s imagination knew no bounds. A born leader, he was known to organize games, contests, and adventures with his cousins and friends. Of course, none of them were complete without appropriate costumes. Luckily, his grandmothers and Dad provide the boys with many costumes over the years. We still make new ones every year to show off at his favorite events; the Renaissance Festival and Youmacon.
Nicholas was very artistic and expressed this through a variety of outlets. He has been writing and illustrating his own stories since he was a child. He took classes to learn to draw, as well as in pottery and ceramics. He enjoyed crocheting, wood carving, and taught himself to be an amateur blacksmith, building his own blast furnace under our deck just a couple years ago.
Nicholas was an avid explorer of nature, and spent countless hours exploring parks and streams, especially the farms of his Grandma and Grandpa Jordan and the Start’s cottage. He had the most incredible ability to reach out and capture small creatures. He always carefully studied them, sometimes even cataloging their statistics to track them, before gently releasing them back to their home. He was very passionate about protecting the animal kingdom. He lectured friends and family about the importance of leaving wild spaces in your yard, leaving no trace of your presence, planting native species, and most currently, leaving the leaves on the lawn in the winter to protect the insects living within them.
Nick loved working with animals of all kinds and spent several years working as an animal caretaker. This is where he met his dog Yukie his self-proclaimed “spirit-animal”, one of his best friends and constant companion.
In his kind and loving way, Nicholas chose to be a full organ donor. The Michigan Gift of Life program has shared that his donations have already saved 5 lives. Many more lives will be blessed and improved by his thoughtful gifts.
Nicholas is survived by his heartbroken parents and loving brother Jeremy; Grandma Barb and Papa Bill Start; Grandma Alice and Grandpa Larry Jordan; Aunt Amy and Uncle Craig Start; Uncles Joe and Steve Jordan; Cousins Riley, Charlie, and Lauren Start; and Phoebe Jordan; as well as so many other beloved family members and friends.
Please, in lieu of flowers and in keeping with Nicholas’ spirit, we are collecting funds to lease and protect a small portion of land in the Amazon Rainforest through FundThePlanet.net. There are caretakers to tend to the land and ensure its conservation. Once we have committed to this space, we will receive a weekly link to monitor its growth and progress. We will fund this land in perpetuity. You can make donations via Venmo to “@Chris-Start-1”, via regular mail to 1144 Brookside Court, Oxford, MI 48371, or at a drop box for Nick at the memorial on Tuesday. If you prefer, you may also donate to the Genesee County Humane Society, GenesseeHumane.org, in Nicholas’ name.
Your condolences may be shared with the family at swartzfuneralhomeinc.com
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| Visitation |
| Date: |
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11/7/2023 |
| Time: |
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3:00 PM |
| Visitation 3 – 5 PM, Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Flint, Michigan and Celebration of Life will be held at 5 p.m. |
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| Funeral Service |
| Date: |
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11/7/2023 |
| Time: |
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5:00 PM |
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| Location: |
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Swartz Funeral Home & Cremation Center
1225 West Hill Road
Flint, MI 48507Get a Map to this location...
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