Obituary of Nathan Joseph Horton

Nathan J. Horton of Montville, Maine, sadly left the world on August 2, 2024, at the age of 41.

Nathan was part of a large network of family and friends who will forever miss his presence. He leaves his parents, Bill Horton and Patricia Manson; siblings Sarah Horton Pike, Molly Horton Wilson, Emily Horton, and Jacob Horton; the love of his life, Rachel Bell; his three stepchildren, Finn, Inez, and Jonah Furth; and many nieces, nephews, friends and extended family members. We hope he is now reconnected with his older brother, Billy Horton, who passed away in 2015.

Nathan was a steward of organic farming, food, and forestry and an enthusiast of nature his entire life. As a young child, when he wasn’t working on the family farm in Montville or helping with the family farmstand at the Belfast Farmer’s Market, he spent his free time building forts, setting traps, getting lost in the woods, and losing his dad’s tools. As he grew, his connection to farming and forestry did, too. He was a lifelong learner and a sponge for knowledge from those more seasoned in certain crafts, including spending time early in his career with local legends learning how to log with draft horses. For many years, he ran his own low-impact forestry business.

Nathan spent much of his adult life as an organic farmer at Tide Mill Creamery in Edmunds, Maine, where he co-owned and operated a farmstead creamery, thoughtfully managed and milked a herd of organic dairy goats and Jersey cows, raised pigs and chickens, tended a large garden, and left his caring mark on every building and the land itself.  He thrived on the hard physical work, the joy of sharing that life with the Bell family, the simple pleasure of a strong cup of coffee with raw cream, and the satisfaction of providing for his family and community.

Over the years, Nathan learned to forage mushrooms and wild plants, all while paying reverence to the many other gifts contained within the fields and forests. He lived much of his life guided by Buddhist principles and encouraged those around him to love one another with lightness and laughter. More recently, Nathan found great peace in the woods in Montville, where he spent time fishing, trapping, canoeing, wood carving, and hiking with his close family.

Nathan was known for his big heart and contagious smile, which could truly light up a room. His death leaves a gap that will never be filled.  His family will host a small private celebration of life.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his honor to:

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Maine at https://namimaine.org/donate  

Memorial Gift fund for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in support of the Maine Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network at  our.umaine.edu/horton.

Checks may also be mailed to Gift Processing, Nathan Horton Memorial Gift, UMaine Foundation, 2 Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469-5792.

“He is hidden among all that is and can never be lost.” –Wendell Berry