Ryan Clay Larson, age 34, of Birmingham, AL passed away on September 19, 2020 after a courageous six-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Ryan was an exceptional soccer player at Mountain Brook High School and continued his love of the game through adult leagues in Birmingham and Boston. He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Management Information Systems and then went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Health Informatics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Throughout his career in information technology, he touched the lives of many coworkers who unanimously attest to his magnetic personality and exceptional work ethic.
As all of his close friends and family would agree, Ryan was a fiercely loyal friend who exuded thoughtfulness and dependability in everything he did. He maintained incredible bonds with a core group of childhood friends who supported him throughout his life and his challenging battle with ALS. Ryan loved to travel with friends and family and always provided comic relief with his unique sense of humor. He lived for weekends at the lake, endless DIY house and car projects, and watching Auburn football with his father and brother. Even as his ability to physically participate was limited by his disease, he always found ways to put a smile on someone’s face. Whether it was finding a rare bottle of bourbon, picking out a red toy Jeep for his nephew, ensuring every piece was correctly ordered for a car project, or meticulously researching solutions to literally any problem, Ryan was a remarkably thoughtful, humble, and selfless person.
Ryan is survived by his parents, Brian and Suzan Larson of Birmingham, AL; sister Lindsay Kolasa, brother-in-law, Adam Kolasa, and nephew and niece Jordan and Madeline Kolasa of Birmingham, AL; sister, Courtney Larson and brother-in-law, Matthew Christie of Salt Lake City, UT; brother, Taylor Larson and sister-in-law, Prathyusha Larson of Asheville, NC; as well as countless loving extended family and friends.
A private family memorial will be held Friday, September 25 at Lake Martin, which was always his favorite place. A celebration of life for friends and family will be held at a later date to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alabama Chapter ALS Association via his team, Blackout ALS, for the 2020 Birmingham Walk to Defeat ALS.
http://web.alsa.org/goto/rememberingryanProfessional Services provided by W. E. Lusain Funeral Home and Crematory, Birmingham, AL.
