Brent David Ryan's Obituary
In loving memory of Brent Ryan, 47, who has no f&@$s left to give.
After 47 years of raising hell, raising spirits, and raising the bar for what it means to be fully alive, Brent finally hit the respawn point on April 29, 2025, after a relentless, profanity laced battle with ALS. His body gave out, but his spirit rage-quit on its own terms.
An outdoorsman by soul, a gamer by nature, and a collector by heart, Brent had a deep love for antique bottles, cribbage boards, dusty thrift stores, gaming consoles, and anything with a story. He hated traffic, living in Florida, and applesauce with equal passion. He didn’t suffer fools or people who took themselves too seriously.
He was the human version of a cat: discerning, fiercely independent, warm when you least expected it, and occasionally knocking things off shelves for fun. But behind the sarcasm and the mockery was someone deeply rooted, anchored in loyalty, tradition, and a belief that family was everything.
His memory lives on in his wife, Sandy, the Waldorf to his Statler, the straight woman to his lifelong roast. They shared a marriage full of laughter, deep love, stupid pinecones, and more sarcastic side commentary than a Muppets balcony. Their love story could’ve been a sitcom if the jokes hadn’t been so dark. Together they wrestled Grace through her tween and teen years. Grace was his co-conspirator and living proof that brilliance can be inherited, regardless of genetics. Grace, and her husband Jesse, gave him the honor of being called “Grumpy” by his grandchildren, Wysteria and Colton, whom he loved with all the squishy bits of his heart.
He was preceded in death by his parents David and Kathleen, and brother Matthew, but the Ryan family’s legacy lives on through his uncles, Dennis (Janet) and Danny, his brother Adam and sister Sarah, along with nieces and nephews Danielle, Matthew, Brooklyn, and Halley. Through marriage, Brent inherited enough crazy family to make Jerry Springer consider making a comeback from the afterlife. He was loved like one of their own by Sandy’s parents David (Theresa), and Dawn (John); her brothers and sisters Nikki (Eric), David (Kandis), Jennifer (Rob), Stephen, and Michael; and nieces and nephews, Samantha, Keenan, Damian, Hunter, Michael, David, Knox, and Nova, whom he loved to torture with bad jokes and loud noises.
Brent was a giant—both in stature and spirit. A best man in four weddings, and the best man in so many lives. He tips his hat to a large circle of heartbroken friends who remember Brent as the kind of friend who’d show up with a beer, a snarky comment, and the exact right words when everything went sideways. He was the emotional support gremlin we all needed: chaotic, hilarious, surprisingly wise on occasion, and impossible not to love. He
may have made a show of mocking you, but you couldn’t be mad about it. He had “redeeming qualities” (Ian said so).
When ALS took his voice, he still found ways to make everyone laugh, love harder, and live louder. His legacy is one of strength, hilarity, and unshakable conviction; a towering reminder that you don’t have to be loud to be heard.
In lieu of flowers, please thrift something cool, pour a glass of something smoky, and tell someone you love them—right before roasting them mercilessly. He may be gone from our sight, but his spirit still lingers in the woods, in old glass bottles, a puff of a hand-rolled cigar, and in the loudest laugh at the quietest moment.
Game over? Maybe, but his high score remains undefeated.
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