‘I never met a more tenacious person,’ says cousin of Ryan Jollimore, who died in motorcycle collision last week

Family members say Jollimore, who moved from Florida to Juneau two years ago to work as a helicopter mechanic, had a strong interest in experiencing new things

Ryan Jollimore at his home in Douglas on Dec. 7, 2025. (Photo by Danielle Peterson)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

Ryan Jollimore, 26, developed a fondness for motorcycles in high school and, after he graduated, a passion for repairing helicopters. The former fueled his sense of exploration and the latter an opportunity to move from his family’s hometown in Florida to Juneau two years ago.

"He was scouted by his company for his job and they made very good offers," his sister, Katrina Jollimore, said in an interview Saturday. "But on top of that it was just the sheer beauty that Alaska offers."

Ryan Jollimore worked as a mechanic for a local helicopter company, and spent his spare time hiking, trying new things such as learning to fish, and riding his motorcycle, according to family members. On Thursday afternoon he died when his motorcycle collided with a postal truck on North Douglas Highway.

His cousin, Alex Kuiper, who followed Ryan Jollimore from Florida to Alaska and became his roommate, said Monday that "I never met a more tenacious person."

"If he could be Atlas, the man holding up the world, he would," Kuiper said. "That man was chivalrous with a heart of gold. He saw the world as what it should be and he was willing to put anything he could in to make it happen."

Ryan Jollimore’s sister said he liked new experiences.

"After he got out of high school he was just kind of traveling, bouncing around, trying new things, trying different jobs," she said. "And then it was about three years ago that he was going to the aeromechanics trade school here."

Their grandfather owned a motorcycle, which sparked Ryan Jollimore’s interest, his sister said. She said as a teen her brother was more restless, but "he really changed things for himself and he became a very generous, very kind person."

"He was still a risk taker," she said. "But he learned to be safe about taking his risks."

Kuiper said he had a cautionary talk with his cousin when he announced his move to Alaska.

"I was not trying to talk him down," Kuiper said.

"You have to make sure it's safe. You have to make sure you have your backup plan," he told his cousin. "You don't get lost out there, trapped out there — you know, lose your job and not have the money to get back."

Kuiper went to visit his cousin about six months later.

"Just wanting to make sure he's good, make sure he's safe out there," he said. Alaska ended up being a life-changing experience for Kuiper as well.

"As soon as I got off that plane, it's all these mountains," he said. "He then immediately started planning it out. His first place — well before I can even get out here — he made sure I had a spare room."

Ryan Jollimore, while in Juneau, "swallowed his time with work," his cousin said.

"He didn't like having idle time, and if he could get some money to do something to help someone to make something happen, he just filled up the time with work," Kuiper said. "He would often take a bunch of jobs, work himself way too far."

But he still found time to explore and try new things away from work, according to his cousin.

"We even learned how to fish out here together because we never did in Florida," Kuiper said.

Ryan Jollimore’s sister said she visited him last July and they explored local trails.

"He would go hiking every day after work," Katrina Jollimore said. "He had amazing trails. He showed me some of them. And loved biking as well — motorcycling. There was nothing that could separate him from his bike."

Their mother visited him about two weeks before the fatal accident occurred, she said.

Kuiper said he learned about the accident from his cousin's co-worker, and went to the scene when people were unable to reach Ryan Jollimore by phone.

"'I thought I’m just going to drive up and take a look…get rid of that nagging feeling," Kuiper said. But "I rode up and I almost knew almost immediately as soon as I saw his bike."

The family is planning a memorial service in Juneau as well as a funeral in Florida, with dates for both still pending, according to Katrina Jollimore. A GoFundMe has been established to help the family pay funeral-related expenses.

Kuiper said he plans to remain in Juneau, given his experiences since moving here. He said his cousin also was fond of the community, but had talked about further adventures.

"He loved Juneau, no question about it," Kuiper said. "But he also wanted to do other things. He wanted to explore the planet."

"As much as he loved the company, the next place he was talking about was Australia," he said. "Never been there before, had no connection to it, but for the same reason why he came to Alaska. It sounded cool. So that was going to be kind of his next thing up years from now."

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.