Remembering Ryan Klesh

I've been trying to write this for the past week or so...through the feelings of sadness, and sorting through the memories...remembering some so well that it hurts to smile.

My Memories of Ryan...

The fondest memories of Ryan come from a summer back in 1997 when we were both working as grounds staff for the City of Lakewood at Lakewood Park. On the first day, my supervisor had mentioned that another person was scheduled to come on board to help out with the work. He had also mentioned that I may know this person, which came as a surprise to me. Within a few days, I saw Ryan jump out of a 1980's Chevy Malibu and scream my last name at the top of his lungs...."YOOOUUDITCH!!" This brought a warm smaile to my face, which turned our handshake into a hug. Even though we hadn't seen each other since High School, it was almost as if a bond that had been remiss was immediately recreated.

The summer was an endless conversation about life. In-between card games and cigarettes, we found time to catch up on what had been happening in each others' lives since High School. Between friends, acquaintances, and girfriends, life picked up right where it left off when we last spoke. I remember that day in April of 1995 clearly. He hadn't been in class for over a month, and I was starting to wonder. The day that he showed was like any other...with one exception...he wore scars. When I asked about them, he stated that he went through thyroid surgery, which I took as truth. I only found out in the summer of 97 what really happened. I have to say that it all came as a shock to me. He was always such a happy bloke, willing to listen and have fun through all the tough times.

The conversation that summer flowed easily: remembrances of seeing each other in Marquette taking scholarship tests, shades of grade school with Mr. Mosier berating Shane McAndrews ("Shane, that's one...), his little brother Adam, and Classes at St. Ignatius. It seemed like we had known each other for so long, but knew so little about each other. We made up for it over those memorable three months. Partying until the sun came up, playing cards under the shade of oak trees, and falling asleep in the Women's pavilion under the instruction of Jim Pedachi. I will never forget a conversation that we had about women, and his problems with them. He always had a thing for redheads, which he quoted as one of his biggest downfalls. He had been seeing a girl around that time...and everytime I saw them together, he was so gentlemanly, which struck me as heroic and respectful. I learned a lot about him that summer, and about myself.

I'd like to jump to a couple of years ago...when Brian Goulden, Ed, Brian Lang and myself went out partying on Ed's boat. The three guys were living in the basement of an apartment building. Ryan had moved in and was dating a girl by the name of Becky. I ended up saying with them for about 4 days, partying, laughing and having fun. This was the weekend when I saw evidence of Ryan's TERRIBLE taste in food (see his breakfast of steak and eggs covered in half a bottle of ketchup and A-1 sauce) and his plan for the age of 30. It was also the weekend where Ryan just could not stop singing that song "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)"(As recorded by Looking Glass). I'll never forget him standing up in the middle of the "Safehouse" singing it at the top of his lungs, inserting his own lyrics.

Ryan leaves me with nothing by happy memories. I love him, and miss him with the same fervor.

Stephen Udycz