James Howard
Nat was a great friend. He had a tough reputation as a young man which contributed to his love of boxing. We shared many memorable events during his lifetime. One in particular was, in our teenage years, we attended a party in Oakland of a mutual friend. At that party we were confronted by a group of tough guys from Oakland who found out we were from San Francisco. They attempted to engage us in a fight, falsely accusing Nat of offending a member of their group. When confronted, Nat stood his ground and challenged their leader. I, being more of a diplomat than a pugilist, was able to negotiate our way out of the party and into our vehicle. Once in the car we proceeded to head home. However, we were pursued by the boys from the party. In our car were Julie (Nat's future wife),Cynthia, Tommy Allen, Nat and myself. Nat was so upset that we were being chased, he wanted to stop and physically deal with these trouble makers. However, I was able to convince him to continue our journey home.
Here is what I learned about my soon to become cousin, he was fearless. He didn't take stuff from anyone and was prepared to handle his business. I gained a lot of respect and affection for Nat and always felt safe in his presence. I always tell this story of the brave and courageous young man whom I was honored to call friend. Rest in peace cousin, you ran your race well.
