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OGDEN – Nancy Lyday said her son was all about service. He was always helping others and loved being a police officer.
The fact that so many people came to show their appreciation for him Friday was a big deal to her and her family.
“Fun-loving, and oh he was a jokester. You remember his smile. Everybody thinks about it and remembers his smile,” Lyday said as she described her son, Nathan.
He was born and raised in Ogden. He graduated summa cum laude from Weber State University with a major in criminal justice.
Officer Lyday always looked out for others, his mother said. “His caring attitude, his smile. (He was a) gentle giant,” she said. “He was six-four. He was a good kid. Good person.”
Officer Lyday was only 24 years old and was proud to serve his community. It’s something he learned from his father, who worked as a police officer for various departments in Davis County over the years.
Here's just a bit of what she said about her son's service as a police officer. @KSL5TVpic.twitter.com/PEj2YEYfEL
— Mike Anderson (@mikeandersonKSL) May 29, 2020
Nancy Lyday said her son loved being a police officer but even more, “He loved his wife, Ashley, with all his heart. And the day of his funeral will be the sixth (of June), and that’s their fifth wedding anniversary. It’s hard.”
As Officer Lyday gave his life, people were giving their time, flowers and mementos to honor his memory.
Dozens of citizens visited a memorial at the Ogden police station to pay their respects.
“People are coming to support him, whether they knew him or not and that means a lot,” his mother said. “He’s a hero.”
His fellow officers said the same. “He worked over and above the call of duty, in my opinion,” Lt. Brian Eynon remembered.
The community now knows it, and his family will never forget it.
“He was a stalwart giant,” his mother said with measured words. “He was amazing.”
