Obituary
Obituary
Ian was born on Wednesday, April 19th, 2000, in Fort Collins, CO, nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. He was the only child of his parents, John Niesel and Julie Weaver. There are no words to express how much he will be missed every day by his parents, his Mamaw Niesel, as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins: Cindy & Mike (Mike, John, Adam, and Tony), Rick & Cindy (Zach and Kylie), John & Lori (Jade, Brock, and Michelle), Beth & Steve, Brigid, Amber & Rob (Hylan), and Amy & Chris (Chase, Mackenzie, and Olivia), as well as his two cats, Liliko'i and Fiona. Those Heaven-bound before him were his Papaw Niesel, Grandma Jan, Grammie and Papa Weaver, and his Uncle Jared.
Growing up in Colorado, Ian developed interests and nurtured passions for all things nature, especially insects of all types, rocks and gemstones. He would spend hours outdoors looking for spiders, snails, snakes, butterflies, and beetles. Usually, these activities coincided with him prospecting for rocks, followed by hours indoors reading nature guides about his various discoveries. If he wasn’t looking at a book, he could often be found lost in the world of Legos. Ian also enjoyed taking trips to numerous caves, mines, and national parks throughout the American West. When vacationing at the ocean, he could spend days with his snorkel and mask, exploring the beautiful underwater world of coral and colorful reef fish. He felt he'd had a lucky day when he encountered a spiny sea urchin or sea cucumber! In middle school, he participated in an aeronautics club where he served as an astronaut/member of launch control for multiple mock space shuttle launches.
His love for geology never ceased. A highlight of Ian’s high school years was being invited to join Joe Dorris' family (professional prospectors) at their claim in the Rocky Mountains. Ian uncovered a pocket of Amazonite and Smoky Quartz, which Joe referred to as "The Ian Pocket". Ian took great pride in sharing these beautiful specimens with his family and friends.
During high school, Ian began working as a vet tech assistant for our veterinarian. He went on to graduate early from high school, and began taking vet tech classes at Front Range Community College. Eventually, he decided that although he loved animals, he'd like to explore the field of computer game design.
During his later teenage years, he spent time leading online discussion groups with members from all over the world, and playing group online games, enjoying connecting and laughing with friends.
Ian’s other great passion in his life was his love of music, which was apparent from an early age. He started playing piano as a toddler, and began composing his own music in 2nd grade. In addition to piano, he sang and played drums. All of these were stepping stones to eventually composing electronic music as a young adult. He composed and recorded over 100 songs.
He lived in Colorado until he turned 21, and then moved with his parents to Sanibel Island, Florida. In May of 2022, he decided to move to North Carolina to be with some of his best friends.
Our family would like to thank all of Ian’s family, friends, teachers, and counselors who supported and believed in Ian over the years. You made a difference in his life. Ian was a gentle soul, with such a big, all-feeling, fragile heart. He knew life’s happiness, but also knew life’s sorrows, which affected him deeply. His gentle soul left this beautiful world too soon.
E, we love you so much.
Please consider a donation in Ian’s memory to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, or a no-kill animal rescue of your choice, such as Brother Wolf Animal Rescue in Asheville, North Carolina. https://www.bwar.org/.