Gregory Edward Broadhurst

ATHENS — Gregory Edward Broadhurst, age 66, died peacefully in his sleep at home — probably of heart-related problems — on March 3, 2014. He had been an Athens County resident since the early 1970s.   The son of a career officer, he joined the Army at age 17 and served in Intelligence Service in Europe and Vietnam. His childhood love of being alone in the woods informed the rest of his life as he pursued education at OSU, Hocking College and OU, earning a degree in environmental studies and urban planning, becoming a certified arborist and working as a National Park Ranger interpreter and guide in Alaska, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Maine. This also led to his activism in our community groups such as the West Side Gardens, Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy and Community Food Initiatives, where he served on the board. Urban Forestry was a passion. He was a civic-minded steward of the community, helping found the Westside Community Association, conceiving and actualizing Robbins Crossing in Nelsonville, and enjoyed participating in the local amateur radio club, a sports car motoring group and veteran organizations — especially Healthy Hearts, where he was a peer mentor. He was an avid collector of quality objects of the past, committed to recycling and re-using and studied and investigated historical architecture in Athens. He loved hiking, dancing, visiting Florida, participated in Native American gatherings and took a delighted and sustaining interest in his friends' children.   He attended Quaker meeting and, like his teacher Prem Rawat, treasured the gift of each breath, knowing that our purpose here on earth is to give gratitude and attention to the present moment and to seek joy, contentment and peace.   His bright eyes, animated conversations and hearty laugh will be missed by a wide range of friends, including Beth Amoriya of Athens, his three sisters, one brother, and a bevy of beloved nieces and nephews who are scattered throughout the Columbus area and elsewhere.   There will be a celebration of his life held in the manner of Friends, at the Quaker Meeting House, 22 Birge Drive, Chauncey, Ohio, on Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m. Finger foods to share are welcome. Memorial donations may be made to any Athens organization. Condolences can reach family through www.hughesmoquinfuneralhome.com.