Keeping Ryan's Spirit Vibrant

At 37 years old, my brother Ryan, was recently taken from us due to his injuries from the Ssonix explosion on Keefer Road in St. Catherines on January 13, 2023. We are devastated by the hole left in our lives and the effect on the people in the community.

Ryan was born on October 29, 1985, in Yorkton, Saskatchewan and lived the best years of his life in St Catherine's Ontario alongside the love of his life, his fiance, Natalia and her family. Ryan could most often be found fishing, gardening, shovelling someone's driveway, picking up trash in the parks, playing with random animals, making kids smile and sharing his favourite dishes with anyone who was available.

As a child, his dimples, deep brown eyes, a mischievous twinkle in his eye and resemblance to Mario Lopez made him instantly recognizable anywhere he went. He was thoughtful and kind and as an adult.. none of this had changed.

Ryan was always the man who tended to have the least, but give the most and show up for anyone who needed a hand; whether he knew them or not. He could make friends with complete strangers at a fishing hole, an upscale event or with a houseless person on the street. To Ryan, all people were equal and deserved his time of day.

Ryan is survived by his son Vincent and our family will ensure he is well taken care of and has every opportunity available to him, just as Ryan had always wanted for his son. But we would love to help his fiance transition through these challenging roads ahead. They planned an entire life together, including their most recent success of kicking off their business plans with the purchase of their specialty coffee truck. We would love to see the legacy of Ryan continue in all the good Natalia shares with the world, in Ryan's honour.

Ryan’s most often response to adversity was “Everything is going to be alright” and this is the way he lived his life to the fullest, by appreciating the little moments with acceptance and curiosity. He was such a comforting and gentle soul who left everyone better than he found them.

We really want to help Natalia continue the life they were building together and see their dreams of sharing joy through their food truck through. This is how we will honour Ryan most authentically.

The food truck was just licensed the day before the explosion and will be launching soon. We'd love for you to follow along with Ryan's Lounge - Cafe Bar (Instagram @ryans_lounge) Ryan's Lounge - Cafe Bar