When Ryan Allen Thompson entered a room, he carried a light within him. He was disarming and funny, and his glow brought people together. He loved big, and he took great pride in his roles as son, brother, uncle, and friend. On December 25, 2023, Ryan went home to be with the Lord. He was 48 years old.
Ryan was born to Harvey and Mary Beth Thompson on December 22, 1975, in Iowa City, IA. On his second birthday, Ryan and his parents moved to Abilene, KS. He loved his hometown and graduated from Abilene High School with the class of 1994. While attending Abilene schools, Ryan amassed a wonderful group of lifelong friends. As a kid, Ryan played baseball, football, and basketball, and he was always down for a game of kickball or hide-n-seek with his neighborhood crew on Fifth St.
There was no one with a sharper wit than Ryan. He could deliver the perfect words for nearly any situation with a straight face and precise timing. Many of Ryan’s best quips and rants were related to his love for the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Royals, the KU Jayhawks, and Manchester United as well as his disgust for certain other teams.
He had a phenomenal memory and a lightning-rod ability to recall minute facts covering countless topics. He was on the Scholar’s Bowl team in high school, and he was an ace-in-the-hole on a trivia team. He had a deep appreciation for music of all kinds, and he sang in the AHS Ensemble and wasn’t afraid to slay on a karaoke stage. He loved and followed all sports and held a particular fondness for golf, playing on the AHS golf team, and continuing to enjoy golf for the rest of his life.
Ryan worked for 20 plus years in plastics manufacturing, but his true gift was working with people. If you knew Ryan, he probably found a way to make you feel loved by reaching out at just the right time, making you part of an inside joke, or giving you an old-fashioned, good-natured razzing.
Ryan was preceded in death by grandparents Wayne and Helen Lawson, grandfather Lex Thompson, his uncle Jim Thompson, and his uncle Scott Thompson. Survivors include: his parents Harvey and Mary Beth Thompson (Abilene, KS), his sister Elissa Hoffert (Loveland, CO) and her husband Wes. Nephews Beck and Max, and niece Kate. He is also survived by his grandmother Florence Thompson (Russell, KS), aunts, uncles, many cousins, and a host of friends.
Join us to remember Ryan this coming weekend. The family will hold a visitation on Friday, December 29, from 6-7 p.m. We will also hold services to remember Ryan on Saturday, December 30, at 11 a.m. Both events will be held at the First Christian Church, 612 N. Buckeye Ave., Abilene, KS.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ryan Thompson Memorial Fund ℅ Martin Becker Carlson Funeral Home, 414 N.W. 3rd St., Abilene, KS 67410. The fund’s designation will be determined later.