Nathan Gage Ingram’s friends and teachers weren’t surprised when their former classmate and student from Roanoke enlisted in the military.
Ingram, a Navy SEAL, died on Jan. 11 while boarding a ship smuggling Iranian missile components to Houthi militants in Yemen, according to the U.S. Navy. He was declared dead after a 10-day search.
His teachers remembered him in a news release from the Northwest school district as someone with a unique sense of humor who was kind, sincere, hard-working and humble, always putting others first.
Even his kindergarten teacher, Terri McNutt, said his attitude of helping others and showing them he cared meant she wasn’t surprised to find out he’d ended up in the military.
“I got back in touch with Gage’s mom on Facebook, and it didn’t surprise me at all to see he entered into the military,” McNutt said. “When I saw the photos she would post of him, I saw the same huge smile he had in kindergarten. At that age, it’s normal for students to get in arguments, but that never happened with him. He always had a tender heart and was easy for others to get along with because of his kindness.”
Ingram, 27, graduated from Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club in 2014 He was known as someone who chased his dreams, his teachers and classmates said.
Ingram was smaller in stature growing up, but looking back his teachers said his personality was well suited to the military. He had a strong work ethic and took pride in his work. He played basketball and football in his freshman year of high school before working as the manager of the varsity basketball team for three years.
Scott Curran, the team’s former coach and now the assistant athletic director for Northwest ISD, said Ingram’s selflessness will be something he always remembers about him.
“Gage was the epitome of dependability,” Curran said. “We never had to ask him to do anything because he was always a step ahead. Gage always thought about others before himself, and he took great pride in taking care of everyone in our program. He was simply just a great young man.”
One of Ingram’s former science teachers, Michael Elder, said Ingram could find humor in unusual places. Like when he had to do a project for his senior science class and was going through “senioritis,” he chose the topic of procrastination.
“That meant he did nothing on his project until about five minutes before he was to present it,” Elder explained. “True to Gage style, he threw it together and presented it to the class. I remember all of us in the class laughing with him while he presented. I just always remember him having a great sense of humor. He was always so respectful, and he was a great student and great friend to those around him.”
Parker Ransleben, a lifelong friend of Ingram’s, said he counted himself lucky to be his friend.
“Most of my fondest childhood memories include him,” Ransleben said. “Whether it was watching him dribble circles around kids in soccer, watching ‘Power Rangers’ and ‘Walker Texas Ranger,’ or riding our bikes down the street in our underwear, Gage was there. Even though our later school years had us involved in different sports and friend groups, what I appreciated most was how easy it was to be friends with Gage. We’d be able to meet up at family parties or during the holidays and easily pick up where we left off. He genuinely cared about those around him, was a reliable friend to those who knew him, and consistently put other’s needs ahead of his own. He will be missed.”
Ingram went to Texas Tech University, where he continued to work on improving his physical abilities, according to the Northwest school district release. He didn’t decide until college that he wanted to join the Navy and become a SEAL.
He graduated from SEAL qualification training in 2021.
Doren Thali, a former elementary school teacher and longtime friend of Ingram’s family, said Ingram had a strong moral compass.
“When you think of Gage going into the Navy SEALs, you think of the courage, which he absolutely had, but what set him apart was his kindness – that’s what I will always remember about him,” she said. “I never had Gage as his classroom teacher, but I had his sister, Jaci, and always saw him around school. Despite it being 20 years later and not having him as a student, that’s how much of an impact his kindness made on me. Even as an elementary-aged student, his maturity and kindness were always apparent. Following him through the years and seeing that boy become a man who remained a sweet person, that’s what I’ll always be most proud of.”
The family is accepting help from the community through the Navy SEAL Foundation and SEAL Family Foundation. Donations made to either organization benefit current, veteran and fallen Navy SEALs and their families.
This story was originally published January 25, 2024, 4:45 PM.
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