Loyola celebrates the life of Trustee Jeffrey Nattans, '89
Jeffrey A. Nattans, â89, a member of Âé¶čPornâs Board of Trustees who will be remembered for his selfless leadership, his humble thoughtfulness, and his generous support of his alma mater, passed away on Sept. 1, 2026. He was 59.
A member of Loyolaâs Athletics Hall of Fame, Nattans served as the chair of the Board of Sponsors for Loyolaâs Sellinger School of Business and Management before becoming a member of the Universityâs Board of Trustees in 2019.
"As a member of the Board of Trustees, Jeff was an exceptional leader who was focused on strengthening Loyola to ensure a positive future for the University going forward and creating opportunities for students,â said Gerry Holthaus, â71, chair of the Board of Trustees. âHe was a man of great character who will be remembered for his insight, his love for Loyola, and his genuine kindnessâespecially as a mentor to students. His warmth, collegiality, and valuable perspective will be missed.â
Connection to Loyola
Nattans, who received his MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1996, was a certified public accountant and partner at Black Diamond Financial, an investment advising firm. In previous professional roles, he served as executive vice president for Sagamore Ventures; senior vice president, strategy, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and corporate development for Franklin Templeton; head of M&A for Legg Mason; vice president with Goldman Sachs; and in a public accounting role at Deloitte. Wherever his career took him, he always stayed in touch with Loyola.
âJeff had a real love and connection to Loyola, and he embodied that love of Loyola in his whole being. He was a gentleman leader, thinking of others and giving back to the community,â said Trustee Ann Doyle, â85, MBA â88, who has known Nattans since they started working together at Legg Mason in 2008. âEven in the darkest days of business stress points that we had, you could always be sure that Jeff would have a great outlookâthinking about the positives and wanting to make sure everyone felt comfortable and was taken care of.â
A 1985 graduate of Calvert Hall College High School who served as chair of the board there, Nattans also served on the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities. At Loyola, Nattans brought insight and expertise to the Board of Trustees, including on the Investment Committee, where his leadership was key in helping to restructure the endowment, Doyle said. But it is his humility that she will rememberâas will many who encountered him.
âJeff was the most accomplished andâat the same timeâthe most humble person Iâve ever met. He was extraordinarily smart, so gifted in every way, and he always deflected praise to others. It was just who he was,â said Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D., president of Loyola. âJeff Nattans represents the best of us at Loyola. He embodied all of the virtues that we espouse for this university and its community. He was cura personalisâwith a genuine care for the whole person. He was a man for others. He was wise, thoughtful, and committed to making a difference. He was all of it, wrapped up in one person. And he was so proud to have gone here.â
Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
Nattans was also a two-sport student-athlete in soccer and basketball at Loyola, earning
national Academic All-America honors and a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
A reserve guard and 1988-89 co-captain on the Greyhounds basketball team, Nattans
was one of a handful of athletes nationally to play two major Division I sports. After
graduation, he played soccer professionally for the Maryland Bays from 1990-93. A
Baltimore native who was affectionately called âGoose,â Nattans was inducted into
Loyolaâs Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.
âJeff was a true ambassador for, and friend to, Loyola and the Greyhounds. His success as a student-athlete in two sports, as a student, and as a businessman set a high bar for Loyola students who walk in his path,â said Donna Woodruff, associate vice president and director of athletics. âFrom the moment I met Jeff, before I even started at Loyola, the most notable attribute was his incredible kindness and genuine ability to make anyone immediately feel like a friend. Jeff leaves a legacy that will shine on at Loyola and throughout Baltimore, and we are forever grateful for all he has brought to all of us.â
Steve Nichols, â92, head menâs soccer coach, was a teammate of Nattans when they were students at Loyola. He then coached Nattansâ son, Spencer, who graduated from Loyola in 2023.
âJeff is one of the best human beings to have come through Loyola, as a student, playing basketball, or leading the soccer program to two NCAA Quarterfinals. As good as he was as a student and an athlete, though, he was even better as a person,â Nichols said. âHe is someone who so many people can call their best friend. He epitomizes the thought of âif you want to win, you have to care about the person to the left of you and to the right of you more than yourself.ââ
Josh Loeffler, head menâs basketball coach, got to know Nattans through his enthusiastic support of the basketball program.
âJeff Nattans filled every room with life; his energy was possibly only surpassed by his selflessness,â Loeffler said. âGoose made people know that he appreciated them, and he made sure to work for institutions and people he cared for. Itâs no wonder that teammates, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances all sing his praises. He made you feel special, he helped whenever he could, and he was beyond gracious with his time.â
Leader and Supporter
As a student majoring in accounting at Loyola, Nattans was a member of Loyolaâs Green
& Grey Society, in which seniors serve as an advisory council to Loyola leadership.
He was also a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma and Alpha Sigma Nu academic honor societies.
Nattans was a student at Loyola when the Rev. Tim Brown, S.J., assistant to the president for mission integration, first met him. Their friendship expanded beyond that over the years as they traveled on an Ignatian pilgrimage for trustees and other Loyola leaders in 2024.
âJeff was very generous with his time and with his interests, and he was a man of deep, deep faith,â said Fr. Brown. âIt has been said of those who dream, only the few turn their dreams into action. Of those who act, only the few turn their actions into success, and of those who succeed, only the few turn their success into greatness. That was Jeff.â
Nattans and his wife, Karen, who graduated from Loyola in 1991, have been generous supporters of Loyola over the years, investing in areas that were important to them, including scholarships and athletics. Their fund, the Nattans Family Scholarship Fund, provides scholarship support to students with demonstrated financial need.âŻ
âCertainly, Jeff was an extremely philanthropic supporter of the University, but I might argue that his greatest contribution was inspiring current students and alumni,â said Brian M. Oakes, â99, MBA â10, vice president for advancement. âHe was a great mentor to a lot of people. He was a great example to a lot of people. He was an example of how what he learned at a Jesuit, Catholic university can help you live a life that is fulfilling.â
Nattans is survived by his parents, his wife, Karen, and their son, Spencer.
Nattans will be remembered at the 12:10 p.m. Mass in Loyolaâs Alumni Memorial Chapel on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Arrangements
Arrangements will be posted here when they are available.