Ryan Patrick Stagg was born on Sept 12, 2005 in Gresham, OR. Many who knew him later in his life would never imagine that Ryan was actually quite a shy child. At the same time, he was very curious and extremely active. Ryan was always intelligent and learned things quickly. School came easy to him, all the way through his graduation right here at Sam Barlow High.
Growing up, he tried several sports - but it wasn’t until he gave Taekwondo a shot that he really latched on to something. He loved it and trained in it for 3 years, advancing to a Poom Belt, which is one belt before Black Belt. Ryan also enjoyed Scouts. He became a Cub Scout at the age of 8 and loved everything Scouts had to offer, from fishing and camping, to building and movie making, all while creating friendships along the way. Ryan earned the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America, that of the Eagle Scout at the age of 14. This had been a goal of his since starting scouts and was really proud of that accomplishment.
In Middle School, Ryan was part of the West Orient track & field team. In 6th and 7th grade he was a very successful thrower, competing in both the discus and the shot put. He was pretty disappointed that Covid prevented him from competing his 8th grade year, but really enjoyed his time in track & field.
Most people who knew Ryan knew that music was a huge part of his life, and a major source of happiness and an outlet for expressing himself. Although Ryan’s mom taught him some piano, starting in kindergarten, he didn't truly find his passion for music until he started playing the alto saxophone, also during his time at West Orient. He switched to baritone saxophone by the end of his first year, and started talking about all of the other instruments he wanted to play. A short time later, he started guitar lessons and the guitar immediately became his favorite instrument, quickly advancing in his skill and talent as a player.
His freshman year of high school, he taught himself how to play songs on the piano by ear and by using guitar chords to help find the notes. He began piano lessons once again, and he grew quickly as a pianist as well. Ryan participated in Sam Barlow’s Band program from his Freshman year through his Junior year. With his diagnosis happening in the midst of that junior year, he even postponed his first week of chemo in order to still go on the Band’s Disneyland trip. True to his goals he made in Middle School of playing multiple instruments, Ryan would go on to play the tenor, baritone, and alto sax, the harmonica, the mandolin, the lap steel guitar, the bass guitar, the piano, and the ukulele. He also loved listening to music and became quite the eclectic music fan – his interests (and vinyl collection) ranging from The Beatles, to Pearl Jam; from Zach Bryan to The Foo Fighters; from The Commodores to Modern Baseball, and many more in all sorts of genres.
Ryan also loved working with his hands and learning new skills. In high school, Ryan signed up for every woodshop and metals class that he could. His plan was to become an electrician after graduating high school.
As Ryan began his junior year, he decided to try a couple new sports. In the fall, he ran cross country and pushed himself in ways he physically had never done before. He really enjoyed being part of a team and formed a lot of great friendships. In the winter, Ryan also joined the wrestling team, even though he had never wrestled before, or even had been to a wrestling match. He didn’t even know the rules! He wrestled varsity all year because they needed someone is his weight class. So he got pinned a lot. However, to no one’s surprise who knew him, Ryan always maintained a positive attitude. He looked to learn from each loss, and was able to recognize that he was growing and developing as a wrestler with those lessons learned. When he was finally able to get his first pin of the season – the whole team and the great wrestling community of supporters celebrated with him. His diagnosis came at the end of the wrestling season. Due to his illness, he was not able to wrestle his senior year. Yet, he showed up for every practice and match thay he was able to, so he could still support his teammates and be part of that team - even while going through his treatment.
Ryan graduated from Sam Barlow High School in June of 2024 and a little more than a week later married the love of his life Tatum Louthan on June 22, 2024. Tatum had been faithfully by his side throughout all of his cancer treatments. Her love for him was apparent from the beginning and it was incredible to watch this young couple go through such a difficult process with the level of mutual admiration and care that they shared with one another. After the wedding, Tatum was by Ryan’s side pretty much 24/7. This brought a great deal of comfort to him during these last few months of life. He could not have asked for a better companion, and he loved her very much.
Ryan was probably best known for his passion for music and concerts. In the past almost 2 years since getting his diagnosis, he saw over 100 different performers. He went even at times where he had just been released from the hospital hours prior to the start of a concert. He went when he didn’t feel well. He went in his wheelchair and he went while on oxygen. His perseverance in making the most of his time, and doing so through one of his dearest passions – live music – is something all who knew him will remember.
Ryan also loved to record music. His band, Ryan and the Staggers. recorded most of their music in his last month of his life. He did most of this from his hospital bed, in his bedroom, with his oxygen on. He would sometimes only be able to record 1 line of vocals at a time, but he pushed through it all because sharing his music with the world was very important to him. As things got closer to the end, oftentimes his most energetic moments were when recording music with his friends and bandmates. Knowing his time was limited, Ryan would muster up the energy to record as much of his music as he could. He felt strongly about leaving that legacy behind, a tangible record of his music, his lyric writing, and singing. He was writing and recording songs, sometimes all in one day. Ryan recorded his final song just a few hours before passing away. As his health declined, his hospice team continued to be amazed at his ability to keep recording his music. Ryan and the Staggers released a 5 track EP and a single about a week before he passed. Additional songs will be released shortly, and then Ryan wanted the remaining songs they recorded to be released 1 year after his passing. So, look for that music to drop next October. Ryan loved his bandmates and he was so incredibly grateful for the time they spent with him in his last few weeks, making this dream come true. His loved ones are just as grateful for those friendships and the hours and hours spent with Ryan in his last few weeks – truly indescribable gifts to Ryan and his family.
Ryan passed away on Oct 10th, 2024. He is survived in death by his wife Tatum Louthan, his parents Jennifer Huntsman and Phillip Stagg, and his sister Sydney Stagg. He is preceded in death by his twin brothers Alex and Ethan Stagg.
Although Ryan is gone way too soon – his positivity and perseverance he displayed throughout his battle with his disease will continue to be an example to all of us. His passion for music has touched many and few of us will attend a concert without thinking of him.
We love you Ryan