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Hi, I am sitting here crying and smiling at all Ryans wonderful memories. Once in a while
I type in his name to see his smiling face in the angels of RI page. I was surprised and delighted when I found this page
tonight. I went to school with Ryan from kindergarten on and in the small town we lived in, until about high school or so
you were in classes with people near your last name in the alphabet. My last name was Panu, so I was close with Ryan all through
school. I had seen Ryan most recently at a friends wedding and even though we had lost touch which so often happens after
high school, he was the same old Ryan, and I was so happy to see him, I was sure Id be seeing him again soon, back in our
old town or at a school reunion. Like many people who probably moved out of town, or knew Ryan at some point, when I heard
about the fire, I knew it was not far from my hometown, and I had the feeling that someone I knew might have been there. My
mother called me a night or two later and told me Ryan had presumably been killed there. I was in such shock and grief. Not
Ryan! He, as I dont need to reiterate here was such a special, happy person, yes, almost always smiling ( hard for many to
believe) I called some people from high school that dont live near by, and had many nights of crying. and hoping maybe, just
maybe please God, make it have been a mistake, make him be okay. Meeting all the people Ryan moved on to touch and become
such good friends with at the funeral was great. It is so obvious he loved you all and you him. Us high school friends almost
felt kind of small knowing we all had moved on so far, but we know we shared 12 years of growing, developing, first dates,
trips to the movies and the mall, school dances, ski club, house parties concerts(lots of them at Worcester Centrum from Iron
Maiden to Ratt) with Ryan. We all will always love him and remember him.
I congratulate you on the best web page on the
net. You have done such agreat job , I really cant even describe how much it means to see this. It would be nice to set up
another celebration of Ryans life with friends old and new, it feels good to share with people who knew and loved him. Thank
you for this page and for bringing Ryan so much happiness. God bless!
Susan(Panu)Woodward
I never met Ryan, Chad had talked about how
much fun Rock-Fest was. When Chad told me he had lost a friend in the tragedy, I could tell it had affected him in a way I`d
never seen. He told me It had changed him forever. Chad has been one of my two best friends since we met about six years ago.
He told me things he had never said before, I know Ryan`s death has changed him for life. Ryan, I never met you, after listening
to Chad tell me about you I almost feel like I know you. God bless you,and rest in peace my friend.
Alan in Eden Prairie,
Mn.
2 Letters by Bilal
Dear Susan,
It's
been a while I did not write, at all. My school work
at BU is keeping me quite busy. I remembered you and my precious friend
Ryan this past week around Thanksgiving celebrations. And just a few days ago, I plugged in the little Christmas tree you
have made for him. It is so BRIGHT. I just would like to thank you personally for being such a wonderful Mom. This Christmas,
my little studio will shine with his spirit in the bright lights of that tree; the first Christmas tree I've ever had.
Bilal (Bill) Ozaslan
(Letter written immediately following Ryan's death)
Dear Susan:
I
would like to let you know that I pray for peace and celebrate the life of blessed ones in this Holy Week. Happy Easter and
a wonderful weekend. You could read and revise the following text, if you'd like. Just some reminiscences.
Here are
a few thoughts that shows my appreciation of life in the midst of playing peek-a-boo that we all do. Yesterday we were not,
today we are, and tomorrow we won't be. And yet, I say, we may be, in fact, we will be. Yes we will always be. We will be
in the heart of a Beloved one. We will be there when Nirvana is. Our permanence is carved on the stone, nay, on the hearts
that remember. And remember they do with fondness, and smile. The fact that we remember, as well as the fact that we are remembered
by, is sheer miracle.
The glimpse of my dear friend and roommate Ryan is another miracle. I considers myself one of
the luckiest persons who have met Ryan. If one single smile is the simplest charity, I am guessing he was a rich guy.
Unlike
Paul Getty whose riches were in the material sphere, Ryan had always the riches of humanity. But Getty was probably right
when he said that the money is like manure, the more you spread it the more goodness and greenery comes out of it. Ryan sawed
lots of smiles in our hearts, and he will always be remembered as the most charitable guy. May His memory be blessed for
ever.
Bilal Ozaslan
Friend and Roommate
2/15/05 I just found out over this past weekend (yes, two years later) about Ryan's tragic death. I cannot begin to describe the shock. I was
a roommate of Ryan when he was at Southern. I actually only attended Southern for one year, and for that year shared a place
with Ryan and five other guys. I lost contact after I left school. Ryan actually called me a year later to see how I was
doing. My wife's best friend lived next door to us and I saw her over this past weekend when she told me about Ryan. I still
can't believe it. To see his picture on the website just sent chills down my spine.
Ryan was a great guy......outgoing,
fun, always looking for a good time. I use to let him use my car to drive to Quinnipiac to see his girlfriend. Every Thursday
in our dorm Ryan and I and some of the other guys would buy a keg and sneak it into our dorm. Our dorm was the place to be
each week. I'm sorry I lost contact with him but reading through the website it seems he carried on being the wonderful person
he was. Though I have not seen him in 13 years, I would often think of some of the memories of my life during that year.
Ryan was a big part of it or at the very least, a very positive piece of it.
I'd like to offer my condolences
to everyone who knew him, especially his family and girlfriend. They lost a truly great person
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Farewell my dear friend
I miss you, but you'll
never be very far
from my heart--
Your laugh, your joy, a lightness about you.
We shared good times my friend--
And
sometimes when I'm down,
I think of all that you loved in this life,
And how much joy you gave,
And though you are
gone
And my heart is heavy,
Still, you make me smile--
I know you would have wanted it that way
My brother
We
are bound by eternity
Your gift I will not forget.
God Bless.
I know all is well on the other side.
Mark Nemes
First of all a belated thank you for all you've done and are doing. It is a true indication of
a devoted friendship. I'll be forwarding a few pictures via my brother Tom. There are two instances I don't mind sharing
with everyone. The first was probably the worst. When Ryan was 13, there was one night when he was refusing to do his homework
and chose to play the guitar for hours. After constant arguements and confrontations he informed me that he was leaving and
walking to go live with his mother(5 miles). I informed him that he was free to do so but he was to take with him only what
he paid for. The thought of a bare assed kid walking down the road with a box of baseball cards obviously did not appeal to
him and he decided to stay. The most meaningful experience occurred only 6 months ago. On our trip to Aruba last October
we went on an arduous 3 mile walk on the beach(sober). We managed to talk about love, emotions. sensitivity, dreams and aspirations.
It seemed that a 30 year father/son relationship was experienced in a matter of hours. It is now the most memorable moment
of our lives together. As a result I'll be leaving a part of him (ashes) on the beach in front of the Phoenix when I return
on my birthday, Oct. 27. I'm also going to do the same this fall on Old Orchard beach, Maine where he spent a score of unforgetable
summers with his family and friends.His ashes will remain in an antique tin on my mantle until they will be placed with my
ashes and reunited once again(date yet to be determined). In closing, heed my advice. If you love someone, tell them. If you
need someone, seek them out. If someone needs you, be there.
Ryan's Dad, Paul.
Dear Ms. Morin,
A mother feels her child's call,
her child's smile, her child's dreams, her child''s disappointments and her child's soul. What I wish to share will be all
too familiar to you, but as a mom to hear how your child has touched others is as much a blessing as they become. Ryan came
into our lives years back as our daughter Jennifer's high school "sweetheart". His thoughtfulness knew no bounds: shrimp cocktail
smuggled in after working at Colonial, gorgeous pink roses "just because", butterfingers to brighten her day, a floral memento
remembering
me that Mother's Day, a tape made to let Jen know he was "thinking of her" songs, enjoying visits to your home with him and
sitting patient vigil when she suffered from mono (undeterred by the God awful bad breath that accompanied the illness and
hung as a fog!)
His smile a gift from God that one could not help but return the favor. His passion for rock and roll contagious!!!
May your memories encircle you and hold you tight. May they replace your tears of pain with smiles of joy as we were blessed
to have known such a fine young man.
Ed & Danette Busby
I am Melissa Davis (Bonin), class of 1991 Tourellotte
High School, and I knew Ryan quite well. He was in my brother's class, Matthew Bonin. He was such a thrill seeker & lover
of life. It is such a tradgedy that he has passed on, but he will be missed by many. He was a great person.
Melissa
E. Davis
There was a little spot still open so I thought I would also share my experience of
meeting Ryan...
Chad and I have been dating for about six years (five years back then...) and I had been hearing
"Ryan Stories" for years...needless to say...I was kinda concerned about meeting him (just because of hearing all
of the "drunken boy stories" from years ago). It took all of about 30 seconds for me to not only understand why
Chad felt the way he did about him, but to have those feelings far surpassed. Ryan spent the night with us prior to he and
Chad going to RockFest last year. He made me feel like a total part of every conversation they had (not the typical "you
weren't there, you wouldn't understand"). That meant a lot to me, especially since the two of them hadn't seen each other
in years...he still included me in everything they were talking about. He was charming and totally repsectful, not only of
me, but also my son Andrew. They spent several hours on the computer and had an automatic connection. I was really sad to
see him go. God definitely took a prime angel home to Him the day that Ryan left us. I also cherish the times I have felt
bonded with Ryan's family and friends while working on this site.
Rest in enternal peace Ryan!
We feel your
love and your smile every day and will continue to every day we walk on this earth.
Kris Bednarz
I thought I would share an email I recieved from someone visiting the website..... Hi, I bookmarked
your site when it was first put up and I find myself checking it every so often. I just got in from working late tonight and
my kids are with their Mom for the weekend. The Valentine's update from Ryan's Mom was so touching it made me want to cry
for her and it made me angry that this happened. I never met Ryan, but I feel like I know him a little from this site. My
youngest son is Ryan Morin (no apparent relation) and I have a connection with the Station site. I don't know how anyone gets
closure...maybe we are not suppossed to. Maybe I am a little crazy since I did not directly know anyone who was in the fire,
but I feel like I (and we) have to live for all those who didn;t make it. Ryan seemed like the best of them all, loving life,
spreading good karma, following his dreams. Anyway, just hought I would share my 2 cents...
God Bless, Stephen Morin |
My Dad, Paul, is a huge Rolling Stones fan. He especially likes to watch Mick Jagger, so much
so that Ryan teasingly dubbed him “Uncle Mick”. My Dad must have watched the “Stones in Concert” videos our family had given
him for Christmas at least a hundred times. Last year in 2002, I bought some Stones concert tickets for my Dad as a surprise
for Father’s Day. My Dad had never been to a concert before and I figured he might never get another opportunity to see them
tour live in concert. I didn’t care how much I had to pay for those tickets as long as I got some because I felt I just couldn’t
put a price on my Dad’s face once we got into Foxboro Stadium at the concert. My Mom (Kathy) was in on my secret plans and
was somewhat shocked at how much the tickets cost. I told her I didn’t care, we were going and that was that! Shortly after
I got the tickets, she called to tell me that Ryan had ALSO bought tickets for my Dad! We had no idea Ryan was planning to
do this. Ryan had gotten much better tickets than I was able to; floor seats only a few rows from the stage and must have
paid a mint for them….Now, with two sets of tickets available my Mom and I had to spill the beans about the tickets and tell
my Dad. My Dad was absolutely stunned and so touched that Ryan had bought tickets for him too. Unfortunately, my Dad had to
choose which tickets to keep and in the end, my Dad thought Ryan would have an easier time to sell his tickets vs. the ones
I had as his were much better seats. Ryan totally understood - though I’m sure he must have been disappointed, and was able
to sell his tickets no problem.
Any how, when we got together with Ryan, Sue, & Jody this past Christmas Eve, Ryan
actually asked my Dad if he wanted to go see the Stones again and if he did, to just let him know and he’d get him tickets
once more. My Dad couldn’t believe it and was truly amazed by Ryan’s generosity. Ryan was so thoughtful in that way.
Over
the years my family and I spent many a Christmas Eve with Ryan and Sue. My father would seem to just brighten up and act 15
years younger whenever Ryan was in the room. At first it really weirded me out…I’d look at my Dad and think to myself what
the heck is going on? This is my Dad, and he’s not acting like my Dad! Who IS this man?! Ryan just seemed to have this way
about him that brought out a younger person in my father, which was such a nice thing to see as my Dad was starting to complain
about feeling older and showing signs of aging. Ryan and my Dad would have a few drinks, horse around, and joke about all
kinds of things which often resulted in them getting scolded by the women in the room…they were just hilarious to watch! I’ll
never forget those special times, how Ryan made my Dad laugh, and made him happy. Thank you for that Ryan….I love you. We
all did.
Stephanie – Ryan’s Cousin
Manchester, Connecticut
I don't know if you want to post the last picture but if Ryan were here he would laugh if I sent
it to him. The picture is of a sign that was made on a trip to Nantucket a few years ago. We formed a fictitious boy band
on rainy, drunk afternoon at a bar called Clark's in Fanuell Hall in Boston. BOYD stands for boys of your dreams. It is kind
of corny but it was a running joke that we had going for years.
Take care,
Scott Novak
Ryan has been in my thoughts since I heard the
terrible news. Disbelief is what registers in my head. When I think about him, I see his face in my "mind's eye" and I have
a very hard time accepting the fact that I will have to wait until heaven to see his "sly smile" again. I wish I had the
opportunity to tell him what I thought of him and what he meant to me. I HOPE HE KNEW.
I hope he knew that I ALWAYS
looked forward to being around him. I hope he knew that I would have done anything for him. I hope he knew that he was a GREAT
friend. I AM SURE HE DID! I will always remember what a GREAT person he is. I will always remember his positive attitude.
I will always remember how much I looked forward to spending time with him. I will always remember that you would be hard
pressed to find someone who got more fun out of their life than he did!!!
I will miss him DEARLY.
Love, Chad
Austrailian
Skandia, Sydney, Australia
I happened to look
at Ryan's picture three days ago and it still seems surreal that my friend, your son with such a zeal for life and having
fun isn't here with us any longer. I don't know what to write to assuage your feelings. There will always be some
date, place, song, joke, smell etc. that reminds us of him. All my memories of Ryan are filled with fun and easy
going times. On those times when some date, place, song, joke, smell etc. reminds me of him I will think that I was better
off knowing him while he was here then never at all. That doesn't change the fact that anyone who was his friend
wishes he was still here and will miss him dearly. I'm so sorry that this happened. I also know that Ryan would want
us all to remember him but not mourn him. For all I know he is learning guitar from Jimmy Hendrix right now:) I
hope he is.
Newpaper Article written about Ryan:
Ryan M. Morin lived for music and was a big fan of the
heavy-metal band Van Halen. ''I called him Van Halen fan number one,'' his mother, Susan, of Thompson, Conn., said. Though
Morin, 31, lived in Allston and commuted to his job as a software engineer at Guardent Inc. in North Providence in a red Jeep,
he still had belongings in his bedroom at his mother's house.
"The closet is crammed with Van Halen memorabilia,"
said his mother. Autographs of band members, compact discs, tour itineraries, guitar picks -- nothing was too trivial for
the fan who traveled across the country to see his heroes perform and who emulated them as a guitar player in a garage band
when he was in high school.
A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, he worked as a substitute teacher
in the Thompson public schools before entering the high-tech field. "He taught primarily in elementary schools," said his
mother. "All the girls had crushes on him."
He was a happy, outdoorsy guy who seemed to always have a smile on his
face, she said. He enjoyed kayaking and white-water rafting and planned to go on a backpacking trip to New Zealand in March.
"He
had an amazing view of nature," said Spencer Ingram, a co-worker at Guardent. "He wasn't taking anything for granted. He just
wanted to soak it all up."
Among the highlights of Morin's trip to New Zealand was to be a bungee-jumping expedition.
"He
liked to live life on the edge, and he lived it to the fullest," said his mother
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