Obituary of Ryan Andrew Courneya

Our beloved son, Ryan Courneya, lost his battle with addiction on May 23 of this year at the age of 49. Ryan was a lively child; full of fun, love, and determination. These gifts lead him to become a fine athlete who loved and excelled at baseball and also became a Provincial boxing champion. He had an enduring soft spot for all animals and through the years provided us with all our four dogs.

When at his best, he was a good humoured, loyal, and generous friend as well as a hard worker. His kindness and generosity of spirit were evident to all his friends and companions as he lived within his community. However, when the devil drove, he could be hopeless, argumentative and prone to aggressive behaviour… but we loved him anyway.

He took great pride in his daughter Hailey and would have loved the opportunity to know her as an adult. It is heartbreaking to know the turmoil of his later adult life and the sad conclusion of his story; one that so many others have endured and shared. It is often overlooked that people are so much more than the destructive shadow of their addictions. We choose to believe that Ryan’s pain is over, and he finally knows peace and serenity.

He is survived by his daughter Hailey, his parents John and Kathy, his sister Kate and her family (husband Ryan, daughter Hunter and son Cameron Boucha, all of Kenora) and numerous fond aunts, uncles, and cousins.

We wish to thank his close community and 519 Pursuit for their kind attention and the love shown to Ryan. If desired, donations can be made to 519 Pursuit or London Humans Society with our appreciation.