Ryan loved people!
His friends were so precious to him. He left a trail of
those who loved him – and his enthusiasm and love of
life – from coast to coast, and around the world.
Wherever he traveled, he arrived home with new friends and experiences that enriched his life. His love of travel and adventure was unending, he yearned to see the world. And he had just begun...
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a gifted and knowledgeable chef, Ryan had been about to enroll in courses to further his education in San Francisco. His travels and the areas he lived in cultivated his love of delicious as well as artfully presented food.
Ryan cared so much about people who were suffering.
He had several favorite charities, and donated his time to various organizations in San Francisco. His favorite was Martin de Porres House of Hospitality, a very special place where he volunteered in the kitchen. The wonderful people at Martin's knew him well, and will truly miss him.
Martin's is much more than a soup kitchen. It's an oasis for those in need in the City of San Francisco. A meal, a clean shower and a place to just talk, read or relax. Volunteers regularly sit and chat with the visitors after finishing their food prep. Ryan was one of those, he always said he learned something from everyone he talked to.
Click on the "Volunteer" link on the left to see a great video about Martin's and the volunteers... Ryan's name will be on the memorial tree on the wall in the garden seen above and in the video in the link below.
Ryan spent the last few days of his life fighting against domestic violence. He just couldn't stand by and ignore what was going on with people he was close to. Domestic Violence was something he abhorred, having experienced it first hand in his own family early in his life. He had a special place in his heart for Elizabeth House, a shelter for battered women in Danbury, Connecticut. He also gave to La Casa de las Madres, a shelter for battered women in San Francisco.
I know Ryan would have appreciated donations in his memory to any of the above organizations, especially Martin's. (Donations are the only thing that keeps them running, they receive no other funds).
His collection of travel guides will be distributed to hostels around the world (which he preferred to stay in... to meet new people of course!) with a bookplate inside asking people to use his books as they travel, and then leave them at another hostel for future adventurers to carry with them around the world.
Photographs from his Ryan's Chef portfolio as well as the best of his travel photographs are available in his flickr photostream. He was a talented photographer too!
(click on collections or sets to see all the available photo groups)
