‘A very good community man’
Senior Sergeant Richard Ryan made his final journey through the city he served on Friday as 500 police lined the street to honour him. The father-of-four died on Tuesday morning, surrounded by family. He was moved to a hospice last Thursday as his condition worsened. Ryan was diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer in May that had spread to his kidneys and bones. Chemotherapy and radiation were said to be unsuitable to treat the illness. A hearse bearing Ryan’s casket, draped in a New Zealand flag, left his funeral at St Mary’s ProCathedral Church on Manchester St about 11am, through a tunnel of blue as his colleagues from across Canterbury stood to attention.
Police lining the street struggled to hold back tears as the ‘‘great guy, a great officer and a very good community man’’ was lowered into the hearse.
Ryan’s situation came to public attention in June when fellow officers, his North Canterbury and children’s school communities and many others rallied together to raise funds for his family. A Givealittle page was set up soon after Ryan’s diagnosis, reaching more than $30,000 in about two weeks. It has since climbed to more than $50,000.
Several former Black Caps, fellow representative cricketers and Crusaders rugby players helped with the fundraising effort. A cricket team featuring Chris Harris, Peter Fulton and Gareth Hopkins played against the Christchurch police indoor team in a charity match.
Hopkins, who was Ryan’s brother-in-law, said the family knew what was to come when Ryan went into hospice care last week, ‘‘but it still doesn’t make it any easier’’.
‘‘We’re staying together. It’s been a pretty tough few months really, but the last week in particular’s been pretty tough for them I think. The hospice staff, the nurses have been absolutely brilliant. The police community and local community have been absolutely fantastic, just helping out with little things that make it a little bit easier.’’ He said the main message the family wanted to get across ’’is just thank you to the community for everything they’ve done to help the family’’.
‘‘He was just so young, and we’re all the same age, so it was a bit of a shock really. We’ve all got young families like he has and it just doesn’t seem fair.
‘‘People have been moved by it, it could happen to any of us ... He’ll be missed.’’