There are people whose presence is so deeply woven into the fabric of a family that it is impossible to imagine life without them.

Ryan was one of those people.

Years ago, Ryan's father wrote him a birthday letter and it had a line:

"Ryan, you are a giant in my eyes."

Those words could not have been more true.

Ryan was a giant in everyone's eyes, not because of his stature, but because of the size of his capability and capacity for greatness. He was a giant in the way he provided, the way he nurtured, the way he protected, and the quiet strength he carried every single day. He was the kind of man who made everyone around him feel safe simply because he was there.

On July 18, 2026, at just 43 years old, Ryan passed away suddenly and without warning, leaving behind the love of his life, his wife Monika, and their six beloved children: Roek (19), Emma (18), Robyn (14), Nora (13), Vincent (8), and Hannah (5).

He should still be here.

Ryan and Monika didn't simply build a marriage, they built an extraordinary life together.

They were best friends, partners, and teammates in every sense of the word. They worked together, travelled together, raised their children together, and spent nearly every day side by side.

Ryan's entrepreneurial spirit allowed him to build a successful business allowing him to work from home, making it possible for Monika to fulfill her dream of being a stay-at-home mother and homeschooling their children. Together they intentionally built a life centered around faith, family, and being present.

Without grandparents nearby or family close enough to help, they raised all six of their children together. They welcomed their babies through home births, never relied on babysitters, and even their date nights included their children. Family wasn't something they fit into their lives, it was their entire life.

Ryan wasn't a father who came home after work. He was already there, everyday, for every sporting event, every performance, every grocery trip, every recess.

He was there for morning lessons around the kitchen table, business meetings between family moments, fishing trips, ATV rides, camping adventures, long road trips, bedtime stories, laughter around the dinner table, and the countless ordinary moments that have now become treasured memories.

He was the backbone and steady beating heart of their family.

He quietly carried the responsibility of providing for the people he loved while never missing the moments that mattered most. His children didn't simply know they were loved, they lived every day in the presence of a father whose greatest joy was being with them.

Ryan and Monika also endured profound heartbreak together. In 2017, just weeks before they were due to welcome their baby boy, Peter, tragedy struck. At 35 weeks pregnant, Peter was stillborn.

No parent should ever have to say goodbye before saying hello.

Together, Ryan and Monika carried that unimaginable grief, leaning on one another as they slowly rebuilt their lives. Their love grew stronger through that loss, and together they continued building the beautiful family that became Ryan's greatest pride.

Ryan was also a devoted son to Peter and his late mother, Darlene, proud brother to Jaclyn, a cherished uncle, brother-in-law, loyal friend, and someone who quietly helped others without ever expecting recognition.

For those who knew him, Ryan was the person you could always count on. Calm, humble, generous, dependable, and fiercely devoted to the people he loved.

His greatest accomplishment wasn't the business he built.

It was the life he built.

His sudden absence has left an unimaginable void.

For Monika and the children, it feels as though the center of their world has disappeared. Ryan wasn't simply the family's sole provider, he was the steady presence around whom every part of their lives revolved. His loss has left a chasm that words cannot describe. The silence where his laughter once filled their home is overwhelming, and the family he loved so completely is now trying to find their way through a future they never imagined without him.

While no amount of money can ever replace Ryan or ease the heartbreak of losing him, we hope to lessen some of the overwhelming financial burdens now resting on Monika's shoulders.

Your generosity will help provide stability during this incredibly difficult season by assisting with mortgage payments, household expenses, homeschooling expenses, groceries, daily living expenses, and helping ensure the children can continue to have the opportunities and stability Ryan worked so tirelessly to provide.

If you knew Ryan, you know he would have been the first person to quietly help someone in need without ever expecting anything in return.

Today, we're asking others to do the same for the family he loved more than anything in this world.

Every donation, no matter the amount, will make a meaningful difference. If you're unable to give financially, sharing this fundraiser is another powerful way to support Ryan's family.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your prayers, your kindness, your generosity, and for surrounding Monika and her six children with love as they begin the unimaginable journey of learning to live without the husband and father who was the heart of their family.

Ryan's legacy will never be measured by the business he built or the things he owned.

His legacy lives on in the six children he adored, the wife he loved beyond measure, and the countless lives he touched with his quiet strength and generous heart.

Ryan was a giant in everyone's eyes, but most of all, he was the giant who held his family together.

With love and gratitude,

Sheela