Nathan P. Waterhouse

Nathan Paul Waterhouse was born on March 31st, 1975 to Janie and Stuart Waterhouse. He was the second of their four children and their only son. He was a calm baby who grew into a sweet and funny boy. He loved to play but was always safety minded. He would even grab a Tupperware bowl and place it on his head as a helmet before racing around the house on his Big Wheels trike. He was a smart kid and a fine student, but he never found his passion in a classroom. Nate developed a sharp sense of humor with a wit far quicker than most. A wit he employed many times to charm his way out of the trouble he often created for himself. Nate was just special from the get go and a fast favorite amongst all his circles. He could make everyone in his family, from his great-grandparents down to his sisters, laugh at the drop of a hat. He was a great story teller, a skill which only grew as he did. Nate was a physical kid who loved to spend most of his time outside. He enjoyed riding his bike, playing baseball and soccer, swimming whenever he could, and ice skating in the winter. While growing up, he played on many sports teams. Always a kind and supportive teammate, he often had as much fun playing when they lost as when they won. It was the experience and the camaraderie that mattered the most to him. At the age of four, Nathan was watching the Winter Olympics when he saw downhill skiing for the first time. He was transfixed. He told his parents that he just had to try it. Nate received his first skis that next Christmas from his maternal grandparents. A tiny, wooden pair no longer than two feet with leather straps to hold his feet. He skied on the hill, really a glorified bump, in his front yard and fell in love. He had found his passion. From the plastic skis on the hill to the Rochester Recreation Department ski program at Gunstock to skiing every chance he got with his friends in high school, he grew to love skiing more and more with each run. When he was about to graduate high school, whenever asked what he was going to do when he grew up, he would answer, “I am going to ski.” No one was ever sure how he could turn that into a career, but he was certain he would find a way. After graduating from high school, Nate decided to take a gap year to teach skiing at Gunstock Mountain Resort. That one year became a career, leading to more than thirty years in the ski industry. In February 1995, he became a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and earned his Level 1 Certification. Over the next several years, Nate rose through the ranks to become one of the highest-certified ski instructors in the country, achieving the Alpine Level 3 Certification—the highest certification distinction within the organization. In 2001, Nate was named to Ski Magazine Top 100 Ski Instructors in the country. In 2003, Nate joined the PSIA-Eastern Educational Staff as a Development Team Member, a position he held until 2007, when he stepped back to focus on his growing career in ski area management. Nearly two decades later, in 2024, Nate returned to the PSIA-Eastern Education Staff, once again earning a place among their elite educators as a Development Team Member. He was very proud of this accomplishment. Nate began his teaching career at Gunstock, working with children’s programs for two years before moving to the Mount Washington Valley to join Attitash Mountain Resort. There, he started as a ski instructor and children’s center trainer. After two years, he became the Children’s Programs Manager, a role he held for five years before being promoted to Director of the entire Ski and Snowboard School. After about a decade in that role, he expanded his leadership to oversee both the Attitash and Wildcat Mountain Ski and Snowboard Schools. Over time, Nate also took on additional responsibilities across departments, ultimately serving as the Senior Manager of Skier Services for both resorts. Nate was widely respected as a strong and inspiring leader who led by example. He was a gifted ski instructor and trainer, always maintaining a high level of performance in both skiing and teaching while advancing his management career. His staff deeply admired him—not only for his skill and professionalism, but also for his creativity, humor, and the joyful spirit he brought to the slopes. Skiing and snowboarding with Nate was always a highlight for his staff, and he will be fondly remembered for the energy and passion he shared with everyone around him. Nate met the love of his life, Shannon Jeffrey, at Attitash. They spent 17 years together, creating a beautiful family with their two amazing children, Topher and Lily. The dedication and care Nathan showed to his work was nothing in comparison to that which he felt for his family. A natural coach, he took on coaching soccer and basketball for Topher’s teams for many years. He didn’t let his lack of basketball knowledge stand in his way, he bought Basketball For Dummies and got to work. If there was something his family needed, he always found a way to do it. Nate loved sharing his knowledge and watching kids fall in love with sports, too. His latest coaching endeavor was facilitating a mountain biking club for the Bartlett Recreation Department to instruct and foster the love of biking in Lily’s cohorts in town. Lily started riding with her dad as soon as her feet could reach the pedals and loved it. Mountain biking was his second life long passion. He bought his first very expensive mountain bike after graduating high school, before he even had a car (a fact that made his dad’s head spin). He prioritized the things he loved most and always made it work. Nate was well loved by his community, coworkers, friends, and most of all his family. He is survived by his loving wife, Shannon, son Topher, and daughter Lily; his mother, Janie, his sister, Sarah-the Royal Biznanas Queen -(Edward), their children Noah and Lilah; his sister, Hannah (Josh), their sons Eli and Jake; his sister, Melissa (Rory), they just have a cat; and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was predeceased by his father, Stuart J Waterhouse. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, May 18th, at 12:30 PM at Ptarmigans in the Attitash Main Base Lodge, 775 US Route 302, Bartlett, NH. All are welcome to come together to celebrate and honor Nathan.