Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s Executive Director Jason Ulseth was shaking hands with visitors at the office, stomping mud off his boots, nodding an unspoken message at his assistant and hopping on a call when I first met him. We spent an hour in the sturdy patrol boat—him sharing startling statistics about the conservation and ecological health of the Chattahoochee River, its lakes, tributaries and watershed; me hanging on his every word (and the side of the boat), wondering how many people are lucky enough to have jobs that align with their passions, abilities and dreams.
Jason and I met again in a hospital room at Emory Winship Cancer Center. Our friend and his colleague, Becca Sue Klein, was losing her seven-year battle with metastatic breast cancer—a fight she faced relentlessly, supported by the fly fishing community and a dedicated tribe of friends.
A week later, we were assembling bookshelves and fluffing pillows in the in-law apartment at his house where Becca would live temporarily. She was weakening and Jason, his wife Dawn, Becca’s parents and her care tribe agreed having someone (Jason’s family) upstairs would be a good thing. It was then Jason’s quiet mission to ensure her safety and confidence while anticipating her every need. He accomplished that. And more.
Becca passed away January 21 with her loving parents, Jon and Jennifer, by her side.
A bunch of us gathered to help pack up Becca’s house, treading gingerly and comforting one another through our tears with stories of her powerful abilities to connect people and her unwavering dedication to nature and its allies.
Jason, Dawn, Sydney (16) and Easton (14) Ulseth will forever be angels in my eyes. They also scooped up Becca’s pup, Gunner, now one of the family. Lucky dog.
Sydney is a rising junior at Centennial High School and she just started her first job working at a movie theater. Her passion is music, with Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams topping her chart. She is also in the chorus at school.
Easton is a rising freshman at Centennial High School. He loves playing and watching soccer and is earning his referee license. He’s a diehard Liverpool Football Club fan.
This year, Father's Day falls on Jason's birthday. There will undoubtedly be good food, a family gathering and talk of fishing.
“Watching Jason as a dad has shown me how deep his patience, strength and resilience truly run. I have seen him overcome challenges with strength and determination, all so that he could be the father that our children deserve,” says Dawn. “He shows our children every day what it means to be kind, strong and full of integrity and has shown them that love is at the heart of a meaningful life.”
Our river is in good hands.
He shows our children every day what it means to be kind, strong and full of integrity