Obituary: Ryan Michael Jollimore (Sept. 1999 - Sept. 2026)

Ryan Michael Jollimore passed from this life on Sept. 17, just 11 days shy of his 27th birthday, leaving us far too soon. A beloved son, brother, uncle, and cousin; he will be missed deeply.

Ryan Michael Jollimore

Ryan was born Sept. 28, 1999, in Tampa, Florida, where he lived his early years, and was described as being a vastly energetic, fearless child. His mother recounts that the word “childproof” did not exist with young Ryan in the house. There are many stories of Ryan and his cousin Alex dismantling appliances to discover how they worked, as well as escaping windows (to be returned later by a neighbor). Along with this courageous streak, Ryan also had a heart of gold. At one point his mother could not find any of the Bibles she owned – Ryan had taken all of the Bibles to school and given them to his friends.

A quality that has followed Ryan from his childhood has been his strong work ethic. From his early days of mowing lawns and working at Dunkin Donuts, he always took his work very seriously, often saving his earnings to buy gifts for others. Several family members mentioned that when they needed an item such as a cell phone or mattress, teenage Ryan would use his own funds to provide it. Ryan sought to touch people’s lives, to turn no one away.

His sister Katrina considers Ryan one of the family’s biggest success stories. Beyond passing things like riches and accolades, Ryan built his foundation on kindness, tenacity, chivalry, and generosity. He always sought new experiences, new explorations uniquely his own. His favorite food was whatever he hadn’t tried yet, and his favorite place was the site of a new adventure.

Always a very industrious thinker, Ryan taught himself many skills, including playing the guitar and soldering, leading to his completion of a welding certification from Hillsborough Community College. Ryan developed a fondness for motorcycles and the adventure associated with them. He began riding motorcycles at age 18, never letting fear stop him from trying new things. A few years thereafter, his perennial sense of adventure brought him to Nevada for a short stint, working to construct and deconstruct COVID-19 vaccine clinics in rural areas. Though he was only in Nevada temporarily, he had fallen in love with the wide open spaces it offered, and returned the following December for another spell, this time in a motorcycle-drawn camper.

Craving a slice of his mom’s lasagna, he returned to Florida, where he attended Aviation Mechanic School in Lakeland, Florida, receiving his certification as an aviation mechanic. With many employers offering Ryan jobs even before graduation, he felt called to the ferocious land of Alaska. Ryan packed up his belongings and moved to Juneau in 2024 to work happily as a helicopter mechanic. His passion for Alaska was apparent in many conversations, as he described the vast outdoors and urged family members to experience it for themselves. In his classic spirit of generosity, he invited his cousin Alex to visit Alaska, and soon convinced him to move there permanently.

Ryan passed doing what he loved in a place he loved: riding his motorcycle in Alaska. His family is heartbroken by his loss, while also trusting in the inexhaustible mercy of Jesus Christ.

Ryan’s legacy will continue to live through his beloved mother Danielle, his siblings Katrina and Christopher, nephew James, grandparents Bob and Gretchen, cousin and dear friend Alex, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. A service for him will be held at St. Therese on Nov. 7. To honor Ryan, the family invites all to say a prayer to our most merciful God, to live adventurously and boldly.

“Ryan had a heart and he used it. He lived. He enjoyed things. Made a point of finding the things he loved. We are all dying; not all of us are living. He was just called home before the rest of us.”

- Danielle, Ryan’s mother