Ryan West Obituary
Ryan graduated Valedictorian from Peshtigo High School in Peshtigo, Wisconsin in 1999. He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 2009 at which time he began his career at Proctor & Gamble in Ohio. His dedication and success were cause for continuous promotions. Despite battling cancer, Ryan remained steadfast & loyal to his team. "He was well respected and highly sought out for guidance and leadership. Ryan was an incredibly talented scientist, with a remarkable ability to transgress different disciplines. He was an extremely successful innovator and his brilliance will be missed by all colleagues at P & G".
Ryan passionately supported all his girl's activities. His love of family & others was witnessed through his unselfish depth of volunteering. As a coach for girl's lacrosse, he worked to inspire skills and teamwork to his crew. He worked diligently to help build the local lacrosse program by recruiting many "littles" of elementary age. His knowledge of the game resulted in him becoming the "go to" person for game questions. Ryan was the favorite game announcer for high school girl's lacrosse as he integrated entertainment through his commentary and choice of music.
Ryan's life mantra was, "I tried and I cared". A celebration of a life well lived will be held on Saturday, July 27th at Cornerstone Church, 7600 Princeston Glendale Road, West Chester, Ohio. Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. with a time for reflections and refreshments to follow.
A Celebration of Life will also be held in Marinette, Wisconsin on Saturday, August 3rd at the Thielen Funeral Home from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Prayer service will be held at the funeral home at 3:00.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
National Institute of Health
Specifically for Hereditary Leiomyomatosis Renal Cancer (HLRCC) Research
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
or
Honor him by taking extra time to play with your children
To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Ryan West, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
1 Entry
Pamela Doolittle
January 22, 2025
I remember Ryan fondly from his time as an undergraduate and graduate student at UW Madison. I first met Ryan when he took analytical chemistry, a requirement for fulfilling his degree in engineering. He was talented, smart, but what was most memorable was that he was kind, brought people together in collaboration, and had infectious joy for science and marching band. I think I met him in his freshman year. I heard him talking about the band concert and all the hard work in preparation for this big April event. I had mentioned that during graduate school (I am also a Badger Alum and had graduated with my PhD in Chemistry in 1999, before getting my job in Chemistry), I would take my son down to the band practice field where we would watch the band and Mike Leckrone coach. The next day, he presented me with tickets for my whole family to see the band play. And for the next three or so years, he would circle by my office and ask me if I wanted tickets. His senior year, I sat near his parents and Mindy, and man, did we have a great time. Ryan was feeling good (that's all I'm going to say!), and he sang "Hey Baby" to me, then his parents, then Mindy, and then introduced us all to each other (I think....it was chaotic and very crazy!). Most of all, I remember the joy and the laughter, and us all making eye contact sharing our fondness for that moment. I still look back on that concert and remember it as the best UW Band concert I ever attended.
When Ryan first started graduate school, I hired him back as a teaching assistant for analytical chemistry. He was an excellent teacher and his feedback sharing his own experiences as a student both helped students navigating their own challenges in their degree progress, and also helped our instructional team with improvements to the curriculum that was more supportive of students. He and his friend, Joe, were a dynamic duo in the lab, and students would ask to swap sections just so they could benefit from Ryan and Joe's collaborative, fun, and energetic teaching styles.
I knew Ryan left Madison for Ohio, married, and was the proud father of two daughters. I only learned yesterday of his cancer, and that he passed away. I wish to express my deep condolences and sadness for this loss to your family. To Ryan's parents, I offer you so much respect and gratitude for the fine man and father you raised. May you eventually find smiles in remembering him, through your pain of losing him in this life. To Melinda, I pray for your strength and that you are reminded in small and meaningful ways, many times in a day, how much Ryan loved you and your family. And to Ryan's girls, I just want you to know your dad was one of the coolest, most kind, and wonderful students, who I still hold in high regard. I pray you always remember that, and wish for a very full and wonderful life.
God bless you all.
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