Nathaniel "Nate" Friends

Nate was born on January 13, 1945, to Nathaniel and Pearl in Pine Bluff, AR. He was a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago in 1968, where he played basketball and majored in Accounting and Finance, and then the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1971, where he was one of the initial members of the Legal Education Opportunities (LEO) program.

After graduating from law school, he started his legal career at the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ), as an attorney in the Civil Rights division, prosecuting voting rights cases. After the DOJ he moved to AT&T, where he rose to the level of General Counsel of AT&T Government Solutions. After several decades and positions at AT&T he retired from the company in 2004 and began the second act of his legal career as a mediator and business consultant, as well as a volunteer member of several Orlando, FL based organizations, including, among others, Community Health Center (as a member of their Board of Directors), SCORE (as a Counselor), and the City of Orlando (as a Chapter Chair in the areas of Civil Rights and Social Action). In addition, he also served as a both a Dean and a Professor at the Florida A&M University College of Law.

Nate was an avid golfer, loved to travel (both domestically and internationally) with his friends and family, and enjoyed attending various sporting events (especially ones involving his children and grandchildren). He was known to often spontaneously show up in-person to support his friends and family, regardless of the distance or time.

Nate was predeceased by his parents, his beloved sister Nora and beloved brother Fred. He is survived by his loving wife Barbara, his beloved brothers and sisters (Ed, Phyllis, Dottie, Jeannette, and Romanita), his four children (Nate, Jr., Namon, Stephanie, and Jason), his five stepchildren (Erika, Koshii, Kimani, Bynia, and Myehla), and multiple loving Grandchildren.

Please join us at Woodlawn Memorial Park & Funeral Home in Gotha, Florida on Saturday, September 24th for a 10:00 visitation and 11:00 Celebration of Life, with burial and reception to immediately follow.

The wearing of masks is welcomed for your safety and security. Here are the Livestream links. Please choose 1 and copy & paste it into your browser. They are the same, but 1 is a back-up for the other:

https://youtu.be/PLSKmpL7pd0

OR,

https://youtu.be/bAfPuF-C-ro

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a contribution to one of the following non-profit organizations that Nate worked tirelessly to support:

*The Legal Education Opportunities Program (LEO) at University of Wisconsin Law School is a thriving program dedicated to the recruitment, retention and success of law students of color and those from other traditionally disadvantaged groups. The LEO program also provides an informal academic and social support network for its students while they are in law school, and beyond. Nate is an alumnus of University of Wisconsin Law School and actively supported the LEO program. Donations can be made below, or online at https://secure.supportuw.org/give/?id=ca5511cb-e0e0-41aa-8d5a-6fb74f61099b

*The Community Health Centers of Central Florida is a community-driven healthcare organization dedicated to serving patients and their families locally, in the neighborhoods that they live and trust. They provide quality and compassionate healthcare services to many diverse communities and do so in a way that consistently overcomes economic, cultural, and geographic barriers. Nate served as a Director on the board of the Community Health Centers. Donations can be made below, or online at https://www.chcfl.org/about/donations/.

*For fifty years, SCORE has been a dedicated and invaluable resource in helping small businesses get off the ground, grow, and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. SCORE volunteers serve as “Counselors to America’s Small Business.” Working and retired executives and business owners donate their time and expertise as volunteer business mentors and provide confidential counseling and mentoring free of charge. Nate served as a volunteer mentor for SCORE Orlando, providing expertise in Business Finance & Accounting, Government & Regulations, Intellectual Property, and Legal Services. Donations can be made payable and mailed to: SCORE Orlando 3201 E. Colonial Dr. Suite A-20 Orlando, FL 32803.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared for the Friends family in the online guest book below.