We honor the life of Ryan Knotts from Leland, North Carolina. In 2020, just 2 weeks after his 18th birthday, Ryan passed away from injuries sustained in a single vehicle crash. He was not wearing his seat belt and was ejected.
Ryan was a fun-loving, big hearted young man. He would always try to put a smile on everyone’s face. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. Some of his favorite things were fishing, duck hunting, dirt bikes, playing in the mud, taking things apart and trying to figure out how to put them back together, as well as visiting the beach and the lake. He was a very hard worker. Ryan’s mom remembers, “He started helping with yard work at a young age and would push a lawn mower before he was really tall enough to see while doing it”. His most important goal the last couple of years was to graduate high school, which he did a semester early. His mom said, “He had struggled off and on with grades and just maintaining the ambition to show up to school every day. But he knew that in order to begin his life as an adult there was nothing more important than graduating from high school.” He had talked about a few different paths he might take after graduation; welding, mechanics, something with his hands to stay busy and provide for his future family. And most recently he was contemplating whether or not he should join a branch of the military.
Ryan was an organ donor. He was proud of that little red heart on his driver’s license. He gave the gift of life to many families who will forever be grateful.
