Ryan Patrick McCutcheon

My brother, Ryan had a huge heart, an infectious smile, & a contagious laugh. Ryan's son was his pride & joy. His "junk yard" dog, Nahla, his shadow. Ryan loved his family & friends fiercely & without prejudice. He had quick wit & effortless humor.

There are countless stories that could qualify as my favorite - dads 60th, rice lake, the shopping cart, the pig head, becoming olympians, bill bradski, saying the whiskey was Irish, calling for a ride from a tree...too many hysterical memories to pick from. A serious story I will never forget was the day he saved my daughter from a wasp nest high up in a tree. That spider monkey got to her & caught her just as she couldn't hold on any longer. Ryan got to her before I reached the first branch.

I miss his smile. His smiling eyes. His heart. I miss the stupid one liners - the ones everyone still use but can never recreate accurately. "grow up", "act your age", "the nights about a fetus", "tera-donk-a-puss", the donkey noise with the whistle, the "God damned Aurora borealis", "get that c@#k out of your mouth so I can understand you", "Bam bam bigalow"... I miss him serenading everyone ... his Whitney and Elvis ... I can hear him now.. I miss the way he could make anyone laugh

Ryan would want to be celebrated - never mourned. He would want the funny stories and jokes to be told. He wouldn't want tears. He would want all the good times remembered and shared with a cold beer on the deck, around a fire, or in a tree. He would want to hear Slainte.