Irmo, South Carolina, September 24, 2025
Nicholas Leonhardt, a warm and outgoing fitness coach and mental health supporter, passed away at 28. Born in Columbia, South Carolina, he built strong family ties and a wide circle of friends across the country. He coached CrossFit, loved outdoor activities like hiking and skiing, and worked supporting people with anxiety at a treatment center. A celebration of life was held in Irmo, and the family suggested memorial contributions to animal welfare or a charity of choice. Nashville readers are invited to honor his legacy through local fitness gatherings, donations, or quiet acts of community service.
Local Notice for Nashville Readers: Remembering a Life That Touched Many
Quick Beat
Here’s a short, crisp rundown for folks in Nashville and visitors who like to stay plugged into the human stories that ripple beyond our city limits. A young man named Nicholas Leonhardt passed away in September 2025 at 28 years old. The details are simple and human: family scattered across the country, a passion for fitness, a job helping people with anxiety, and a celebration of life scheduled in South Carolina. If you’re visiting Nashville and want to reflect on how people connect across miles, this is worth a read.
Who He Was — The Essentials
Nicholas Leonhardt was born July 23, 1997, in Columbia, South Carolina, and he passed away on September 13, 2025, in Irmo, South Carolina. He was 28. He grew up with strong family ties — parents in Columbia, siblings living in big cities across the map, and grandparents on the West Coast. That mix of Southern roots and coast-to-coast relatives shaped a life marked by travel and connection.
Background and Character
What stands out is the kind of person he was: outgoing, warm, and committed to helping others. He carried those traits into everything he did, from coaching CrossFit to working at a treatment center where he supported people battling anxiety. He loved hiking, camping, skiing, and spending time with friends and family. These are the things that make up a life that mattered to many, whether in a close-knit hometown or far-flung cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia.
Education and Fitness
He graduated from Wellesley High School in 2014, where he was an honor student and played varsity soccer. Fitness was a through-line in his life. He coached and worked in CrossFit gyms across several states and helped men and women push past their limits while building community. That kind of energy is something Nashville people get — our city values its fitness crews and small-gym atmospheres where everyone knows your name.
Work That Mattered
Professionally, he worked at a center in Utah focused on helping people with anxiety. That role brought him face to face with struggles many experience quietly. For people in Nashville who care about mental health, it’s a reminder that support work happens in many forms and places — from clinics to community centers to coaches in local gyms.
Service Details — What to Know
A celebration of life was held on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at 2:00 PM at a funeral chapel in Irmo, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, the family suggested memorial contributions to an animal welfare charity or to a charity of your choice. For Nashville visitors and locals alike, this is a thoughtful option: many people channel grief into action by supporting causes that mattered to the person they’ve lost.
What This Means for Nashville Folks and Visitors
If you live in Nashville or are visiting, you might feel a pull to do something small and meaningful. Attend a local community fitness class in someone’s memory, spend a quiet hour hiking one of our nearby trails, or drop a donation to a local charity that supports mental health or animal welfare. These are simple, tangible ways to honor a life that prioritized connection and service.
Family and Connections
He leaves behind parents in Columbia, siblings in Philadelphia and San Francisco, grandparents in California, and a wide circle of aunts, uncles, and cousins. That family network is spread across the country — an echo of how lives touch cities like Nashville even if they aren’t centered here.
Final Note
Stories like this cut across places. Nashville folks understand the value of community, fitness, and helping others. If this story moves you, consider making a small local gesture — whether that’s support for mental health services, volunteering at an animal shelter, or simply reaching out to someone who may be grieving.
FAQ
Who was Nicholas Leonhardt?
Nicholas Leonhardt was a 28-year-old man originally from Columbia, South Carolina, known for his kindness, fitness coaching, and work helping people with anxiety.
When and where did he pass away?
He passed away on September 13, 2025, in Irmo, South Carolina.
Was there a memorial service?
Yes. A celebration of life took place on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at 2:00 PM at a funeral chapel in Irmo, South Carolina.
How can people honor his memory?
The family suggested memorial contributions to an animal welfare charity or a charity of your choice, and encouraged actions that reflect his love of community and fitness.
What were his main interests?
He enjoyed CrossFit (both as an enthusiast and coach), hiking, camping, skiing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
How is this relevant to people in Nashville?
His life highlights themes Nashville residents value: community, fitness culture, and mental health support. Visitors and locals can honor him through local, meaningful actions.
At-a-Glance Chart: Key Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Nicholas Leonhardt |
| Born | July 23, 1997 — Columbia, SC |
| Died | September 13, 2025 — Irmo, SC |
| Age | 28 |
| Family | Parents in Columbia; siblings in Philadelphia and San Francisco; grandparents in California; extended family nationwide |
| Education | Wellesley High School graduate, 2014 — honor student; varsity soccer |
| Interests | CrossFit, hiking, camping, skiing, travel, time with family and friends |
| Profession | Coach and fitness enthusiast; worked at a center helping people with anxiety |
| Memorial | Celebration of life held Sept 20, 2025 — family suggested memorial contributions to an animal welfare charity or charity of choice |
If you’re in Nashville and touched by this story, take a beat. A walk through our parks or a class with a local coach are quiet, meaningful ways to honor a life built on connection and caring.
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Author: HERE Nashville
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