RYAN
PAUL WILLIAM
Paul William Ryan, 36, passed away Wednesday September 9, 2015 in Penticton, BC. He endured a lifelong hardship with mental illness and succumbed to his disease after years of courageous fighting. Paul was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He developed deep and unique bonds that weathered many ebbs and flows. His presence precipitated powerful memories that challenged superficiality and inspired change and growth. He possessed a powerful compassion for children, the elderly, and those suffering with disease and heartbreak. This compassion extended to family, friends and those he just met.
Paul was a man of intense creativity, which he expressed through music, art, and story-telling. His creations were evocative of the challenges and opportunities of life and the tragedies and lessons of large-scale human strife. He leaves behind a legacy of hours of recorded music and a wide collection of artistic pieces.
Paul was a legendary figure in the table-top gaming community of the South Okanagan. The quintessential “dungeon master”, his adventures and mythology form an integral part of the lore of a generation of gamers in the region. As one admirer recently remarked: “when we were young we lived in his imagination”.
Paul was predeceased by his loving mother Wendy and is survived by his devoted wife Shelene (who Paul referred to as his “little owl” and he her “big owl”), her children Tanner, Hannah and Wes, father Bob, brother and sister-in-law Chris and Cecilia, and nephews Leo and Max.
His life was commemorated by a close gathering of family, friends and admirers on Monday September 15th. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Cancer Society in the name of his mother, Wendy Ryan.
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