Beloved life sciences professor Nick Anast devoted his life to teaching his students to use compassion to treat the person and not the condition. Anast’s students turned to social media to express how large an impact he made in their lives after discovering that Anast had died during a kayaking accident in Tomales Bay on March 18.
The SRJC Facebook page was flooded with comments from students and faculty expressing their grief upon finding out the very popular 55-year-old instructor had died.
Greif counselors will be on hand as classes resume after spring break to help students and faculty mourning the loss of the inspirational teacher.
Marin County Sheriff’s Lt. Doug Pittman told the Press Democrat that Anast, an avid outdoorsman, was kayaking with a friend when he fell into the water in Tomales Bay in Marin County.
Efforts to pull Anast from the water were unsuccessful. A news helicopter spotted Anast in the water at around 6 p.m., and when the Coast Guard reached him, he was dead.
Third-semester nursing student Kellee Ziegler wrote the Oak Leaf to express her sense of loss and her gratitude for having Anast as her physiology professor. “Nick gave his whole heart in his teachings,” Ziegler wrote. “This was his true passion. He was inspiring, uplifting, and he lived what he taught! He was a free spirit that loved life!” Zeigler wrote that she will be forever thankful to Anast and that her heart goes out to his family.
Dawnmichelle Tucker, a nursing student in her last year in the program, said that she and her classmates have been posting on social media to comfort each other after finding out about the loss. Tucker said they are sad, devastated and shocked about losing Anast, whom she called an awesome person.
“His passion and curiosity for the natural world was totally inspiring and infectious,” Tucker said. “He worked tirelessly to lead his students through some of the toughest classes at the JC with compassion and determination.”
That sentiment was echoed by dozens of former students on the website ratemyprofessor.com, a site where students can compare notes about their teachers. Comments like “He was the best teacher I ever had,” “Most amazing,” and “life-changing,” affirm how popular the professor was and how sorely he will be missed.
According to the SRJC Facebook page, student Erin Lydia has organized a memorial beach bonfire gathering honoring Anast. The gathering will be Saturday, March 21 on Limantour Beach in Point Reyes at 5 p.m.
“He was an awesome, awesome guy, and life is fragile.” Tucker said.
Nick Anast gives a demonstration during the 2014 Day Under The Oaks at the SRJC.
