Nathaniel Wells

Born April 6, 1931, in Ogdensburg, to Marie Lalone Wells and Lott Hall Wells, Nathaniel Wells was the second of four children, and is survived by his sister Nancy Wells of London, Ontario. He is preceded in death by his wife Lois Shaver Wells, his life-companion of almost 70 years, and is survived by his four sons and their partners/wives, David and Stephanie, Nathaniel III and Holly, Jared and Karen, and Beric and Heidi, and by six grandchildren, Libby, Emerson and Jamison (Jared and Karen), and Sophie, Claudia and Heinz (Beric and Heidi).

Nat graduated from Canton High School in Canton and studied chemical engineering, graduating from Clarkson College in Potsdam in 1954 with a Masters of Chemical Engineering. He married Lois Ann Shaver on Sept. 6, 1953.

Nat’s career was with Alcoa. Working for Alcoa, he was transferred from Massena to Wenatchee, Washington, Los Angeles, California, and Badin, North Carolina. Offered an opportunity to return to Massena, he didn’t even ask what the position was. While offered further opportunities, he chose to stay in Massena near his extended family.

Nat was a Boy Scout troop leader in Massena. His interests being much more than merit badges and organized Boy Scout meets, Nat took his sons (and Lois) and Troop 34 hiking and canoeing in the Adirondacks. One summer the troop spent a week paddling through Algonquin Provincial Park. A highlight of that experience was that the troop fabricated the reflector ovens they carried to bake the daily bread during the trip.

After retirement, Nat and Lois spent the 1980s and 1990s living on a pond in the Adirondacks. They hiked, did extensive trail work, skied both downhill and cross country, sailed, and paddled. Notably, Nat and Lois were Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) 46er’s, having climbed all 46 high peaks of the Adirondacks, some of them multiple times. Nat and Lois, together with family and friends, would often paddle and portage from their home to climb Long Pond Mt, estimated at over sixty times. Nat also spent about five years as the ADK Volunteer Trails Committee Chair. During this time, they vacationed with and helped Jared and Karen’s family in the Albany area.

In the early 2000s, Nat and Lois sold their Adirondack home, and lived in West Richland, Washington near Beric and Heidi’s young family and Nat and Holly in the winter, and summered near Ogdensburg, in a house they built on the family farm purchased in the 1800s.

Nat moved with Lois to independent living in Coburg Village in 2017, near Jared and Karen and their family. Following Lois’ death in February 2022, Nat continued his daily trampoline, piano playing and bike riding. Nat so appreciated his walks, drives and canoe adventures with Jared.

Nat died peacefully and comfortably, surrounded by his family on Sunday morning, Oct. 26, 2025 in the hospice unit at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.

Add to the full and active life above, a non-stop sense of humor. One rainy summer day on the St. Lawrence River, Dad gathered us boys from our warm reading corners (love of reading also a gift from Dad) and said, “Boys, we are going for a paddle.” As we grumbled while he made our peanut butter sandwiches, he said, “Rain is weather too.” Out we went, up to the mouth of Goose Bay.

A private service with immediate family will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Nat’s memory may be made to the Adirondack Council, 103 Hand Ave Suite 3, PO Box D-2, Elizabethtown, NY 12932, 518-873-2240, www.adirondackcouncil.org.