Ryan James Lathrop's Obituary
Ryan James Lathrop passed away June 27, 2024. He was 38 years old. Ryan was a comedian and beloved icon in the Grand Rapids entertainment scene. He will be greatly missed by his father, Dennis Lathrop, mother and step-father, Christine and Albie Resterhouse, and his many aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family members, and friends. According to his family’s wishes, cremation has already occurred, but a celebration of life event will be held from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, July 20, at Fruitport Eagles, located at 3354 S Dangl Rd., Muskegon, Michigan. More details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2215632615450950/?ref=newsfeed
Donations to support Ryan’s family can be made at the following GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ryan-lathrops-memorial
Ryan was born May 4, 1986 in Grand Haven, Michigan. His family lived in Grant, where Ryan grew up. Even as a child, he was outgoing with a talent for making others smile, his mother said.
“He was such a sweet boy,” she said. “Caring, easygoing, lovable . . . Ryan was my world, he knew just the right things to say to cheer me up.”
Ryan was educated through the Grant Public School system from preschool through high school. It was in preschool where he met his two life-long friends Aaron White and Kevin Breen. The three of them stayed in the same class all the way through high school, eventually graduating together from Grant High School in 2005.
“Ryan made the world a better place to live. His friendship meant the absolute world to me,” White said. “Ryan loved that comedy allowed him to explore larger aspects of humanity and life in a way that could bring joy to others. He also loved making people laugh. He said it was the best high there was.”
In high school, Ryan participated in football, theater, and Quiz Bowl, and was also active in the youth group at Grant Wesleyan Church. His love of storytelling also made him an enthusiast of wrestling, which he considered to be “soap operas for sports fans,” White said.
Ryan was named to Homecoming Court his senior year, an honor Breen felt illustrated how widely beloved Ryan was.
“When just a few people said they were voting for Ryan, it caught on like wildfire. I think it was because of how much his kindness stuck out to everyone. So many people knew him because he was friendly with everyone, and even if they weren’t close friends, his kindness stood out,” Breen said. “He just knew how to be everybody’s buddy, so even if you didn’t know him that well, you couldn’t possibly dislike him.”
Breen’s fondest memories with Ryan were spent hanging out at “The Lounge,” the boys’ nickname for the second story of Breen’s grandpa’s barn, where he’d installed a heater, TV, microwave, and added old sofas for the boys to hang out. They’d play video games, watch movies, drink grape sodas - one of Ryan’s favorite drinks - eat pizzas, and play pranks on each other. In a way, it was Ryan’s first comedy stage, because making his two best friends laugh was “just a part of daily life when Ryan was around,” White said.
“Once in high school, I kept annoyingly talking about this girl I had a crush on,” Breen said. “Ryan reasonably asked me to stop a few times, but I kept going on obnoxiously until he looked at me with the most serious face and said 'Kevin, I'm not afraid to crap on a man.'"
After high school, Ryan attended Central Michigan University (CMU) in Mount Pleasant, MI, where he studied English with a concentration in Creative Writing. While there, he began performing stand up and was also a founding member of the student group After Hours Improv, serving as president during the 2007-2008 semesters.
Ryan moved to Chicago, IL in 2012 to pursue his comedy dreams and study at the iO (Improv Olympic), an improv theater and training center. However, heart illness caused him to return to West Michigan in 2013. White explained that Ryan contracted what he was told was double pneumonia. White traveled to Chicago to pick him up and eventually took him to Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, where it was determined Ryan had congestive heart failure. He spent the next few years getting back on his feet, but remained undeterred in his passion for comedy, even though he was still in pain.
“Comedy . . . was a lifeblood to the Ryan force,” said fellow Grand Rapids comedian and improviser Alastair Watt, who also attended CMU with Ryan.”All Ryan jokes were for Ryan.”
By day, Ryan worked as a host at the Ruse Escape Rooms. By night, he threw himself into the Grand Rapids comedy scene, becoming a regular stand up comedian, improviser, and supporter for comedy spaces like Comedy Outlet Mondays (both at Dog Story Theater and the Comedy Project), the Fuse Box, Fulton Street Pub, the Grand Rapids Improv Festival (GRIF), and SideBar Comedy Showcases, as well as many other open mics and locations. He performed with Beer City Improv, Fictional Friends, Fan Fiction and Fishnets, and Date Night With Mike and Ryan, as well as competed in the Funniest Person in Grand Rapids contest hosted at Dr. Grins Comedy Club.
“If Ryan could be there, he was there,” Watt said, describing him as “a friend to count on with unconditional love for all around him.”
Ryan’s comedy baby was The N.E.D. Talks, a comedic spoof on the popular TED talk lectures. Ryan founded the show and served as host and producer, opening each performance and making an effort to reach out to a wide range of performers from a variety of disciplines, experience levels, and demographics. His openness to “talk shop” about the comedy process and support of new talent especially impressed Sean Francis, a fellow Grand Rapids comedian and improviser who called Ryan a “kindred spirit.”
“He was always quick with a conversation starter or icebreaker that got everybody in the circle involved; he was really good at using the art of conversation for good,” said Francis, who described Ryan as a kind of omnipresent connecting piece for local comedians.
“Ryan was always showing up to things, even when his body didn't want to. He was messaging you, reaching out, making plans, coming to the events, offering to help, just being there to listen when needed. And it was so consistent, despite his own struggles, that sometimes it seemed just like a given that he would always be there.”
Ryan was the ultimate host in everything he did, said Katie Fahey, fellow Grand Rapids improviser. He loved a fruity drink and was a board game champion who “literally helped people play games for a living.” During hard times in her life, Ryan would often check in on her, send funny messages, and remind her to see the good in people.
He was a “one in a million friend,” Fahey said.
“Sometimes especially around shows and GRIF, I’d be stressed out and Ryan would always say something to remind me why the thing I was frustrated with may actually be a good thing in a way meant to help. I really loved how he pushed me to be better,” she said.
“I never had to doubt that he cared or that if I needed him, he'd be there. And that's how I'll remember him most.”
After Ryan’s passing, social media was flooded with posts from family, friends, and fans remembering Ryan’s sharp wit, funny talents, and empathetic nature. His college friend Gina Boscarino started a GoFundMe memorial fund to support Ryan’s family in covering memorial expenses.
“I did it because Ryan was such a good friend to everyone,” Boscarino said. “This felt like the last way we could be a good friend to him.”
The fund hit its financial goal within the first two hours of going live. It raised more than $4,000 for Ryan’s family in its first three days. Friends and family saw it as a testament to the love so many had for Ryan.
“At the end of the day, he was a good dude, doing his best, being a good friend to as many people as he could,” Francis said. “The irony is that in his passing, he has already brought people together again.”
Breen posted that Ryan had a sort of superpower for connecting with people, describing him as the kind of guy who seemed at home anywhere he went.
“Ryan Lathrop had a knack for seizing opportunities when they were available and encouraging others to join,” Breen wrote on Facebook. “. . . He had an incredible track record for pushing us into positive experiences that we were grateful we didn’t miss. I wish everyone could have a friend like that. We were lucky to have Ryan.”
What’s your fondest memory of Ryan?
What’s a lesson you learned from Ryan?
Share a story where Ryan's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Ryan you’ll never forget.
How did Ryan make you smile?