Ryan Shawn Erickson

Ryan Shawn Erickson was born on the anniversary of his parents John & Shelley Erickson November 20, 1978, weighing 8lbs 12.5oz, 20 inches long. My dear beautiful baby has passed from us into God’s hands August 17, 2014. He lived his life on the edge where he believed life begins. He was into his own style from the way he dressed to the way he wore his hair, constantly changing his hair from a crew cut, shaggy cut, a Mohawk, to being bald. He loved to speed skate, water ski, snow ski, snow board & ride quads in the dunes, but his true love of life was skydiving; base jumping off cliffs, towers & bridges; and wing suiting over the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast. Ryan pushed his limits for all of the above. Ryan was a God gifted natural artist. He loved to dress up at Halloween from childhood to adulthood. He was always wearing a smile and being a tease. Most of all Ryan cherished his daughter, Eva Marie Erickson, with all of his heart and soul. My son, my child, my baby was one of the best fathers a father could possibly imagine to be. Ryan went through some typical teenage years and turned out to be an exceptionally wonderful adult. He had a genius mind and was extremely political just like his mother. Political I mean, I didn’t share his genius mind. He was a very thoughtful, rational person. Ryan began working at Caliber Concrete at the age of 18, two months after he began working for Caliber he became a foreman. Ryan teased his older brother Kevin that it took Kevin 2 years to get to foreman and him only two months. Of course Kevin bounced back and told Ryan, yeah that’s only because I broke the ice for you. When Caliber sent Ryan to school for a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) he was let out of class early due to the instructor – told him he didn’t need this class – go take the driving test and get his CDL. Ryan was exceptional at all he did, he had a soul that needed to fly above the clouds and jump off cliffs or helicopters, Oh yes, also out of airplanes and zip lining. Ryan claimed that good airplanes are meant to jump out of not land in. Ryan was training for a special AFF License so he could teach students to fly in the sky, holding the body positions, and save them if they had complications pulling their chute. Ryan was in the process of training for his AFF when his canopy was collapsed by what they think was a dirt devil sending him into a spin that he could not recover from spiraling him to the ground tearing him from our arms and landing him into the arms of our almighty father. I will miss him terribly. My heart is broken beyond what any words could explain. His memories will always be in my heart and every time I look at the ski. My heart is so grateful that he met his fiancé Jamie Eichacker. She brings stars and twinkles to his eyes. He was so happy to have her in his life. It seemed mutual between the two. I bonded immediately to Jamie, so did my son Ryan and his sister Rachelle. She was family to us instantly. I know Ryan would spend the rest of his life with her before he even told me he planned to retire and spend the rest of his life with her. Ryan told me he had been to more places on earth and enjoyed such a short time that he would have no regrets for choosing the life he lead. I will miss my child with all my heart. I know he loved every second of life he fell from the ski to the earth. I know his choices gave him the reason to live so I never begged him to stop, knowing in my heart this was destined to come because I loved him so much I chose to let him love life as he chose and not beg him to live a life I chose to keep him safe. I love you Ryan, I will love you forever and always You will be in my arms again when I pass!