A Celebration of Life: Help us Remember & Honor Ahern

My name is Niko and I am organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my late brother Ahern Nelson. Your donation will help our family provide a Celebration of Life in honor of Ahern and the remembrance he deserves.

Forever In Our Hearts

A Celebration of Ahern's Life

Tuesday, July 16th 10am

Boulder Creek

RSVP required no later than 7/1/24 https://forms.gle/4hMqocxuBsLdCUfw9

When it comes to finding the words to say about my brother, it’s impossible to find any that fully encompass the absolute magnitude of Ahern’s presence. There is no way to convey what an integral role Ahern has on my life. Even in the midst of regular sibling rivalry and conflict, we shared a closeness beyond anything I could hope to explain. He is my partner in crime, the Jake to my Finn, a whole half of my heart and all the goodness I have in me. He remains the most brilliant soul I have ever had the honor of knowing.

Beyond intelligence, Ahern possesses an incomprehensible wisdom for his years. I was always so in awe of his propensity to think deeply about things, the quickness with which he was able to pick up difficult concepts, and how he challenged himself to find where his pretenses and assumptions had hidden knowledge from his perspective; while still themselves containing important information about himself. He challenged himself to sit with discomfort, pain, confusion, and anger; and to not only make space for these pieces of himself, but to honor and observe them as they were, without attempting to fix anything. I think it is because of this profound thoughtfulness that Ahern was able to explore beyond what is accepted; to make space for the things most people cannot without their discomfort overpowering their curiosity.

He challenged those around him too; to believe they were capable of understanding all these things. Whether he was giving me a lecture about theoretical mathematics, or asking me to explore my assumptions about taboo topics, He always encouraged me to have faith in my capacity to grow in understanding through being curious and willing to be vulnerable.

Always ahead of the curve, with a magnificent artistic eye. Creative and masterful in everything he did. Whether practicing the art of teaching himself piano (just by the sound) or carefully crafting a cup of coffee, he did everything with a committed attention to detail. Ahern brought great passion to every area of his life, and his presence reflected the enormous compassion and love those who knew him experienced.