Ryan Forbes Cruickshank

On Saturday, April 13, 2024, Ryan Forbes Cruickshank parted this world to make his new home in heaven.  Ryan was born on October 15, 1975 to George W. Cruickshank and Susan G. Cruickshank (née Moore) in Southampton, NY.  As the second oldest child in the family, Ryan grew-up alongside his older sister Tanya M. Dixon (née Cruickshank) and younger brother Daniel S. Cruickshank.  He attended Eastport Elementary School, where he met his life-long best friend and self-proclaimed brother Kurt Schwarz.  From Eastport Elementary School, he went on to attend East Moriches Elementary/Middle School and Westhampton Beach High School all on Long Island, NY.

Upon graduating Westhampton Beach High School in 1994, Ryan enlisted in the United States Air Force (USAF) where he trained as a fuel cell mechanic on B52s.  After basic training and tech school, Ryan was stationed at Barksdale AFB in Barksdale, LA.  While stationed at Barksdale, Ryan became a die-hard Louisiana State University football and Bayou Bengals fan.  Upon being discharged from the USAF in 1998, Ryan settled in Louisiana and began raising his young family including his eldest and only daughter Amber Dawn, and sons R. Kade and Kamden Scott.    

While raising his family, Ryan began his professional journey of becoming a journeyman electrician through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).  He would eventually graduate from Local 25 in New York with his journeyman electrician certification in 2007.  Throughout his career, he held many different electrician positions with a variety of contractors before he finally landed at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).  He loved working at JHU and often joked that his technical title was Professor of Illuminology.       

 In 2014, Ryan moved to Maryland after reconnecting with his good friend from high school, Sierra Homan.  The two began dating and eventually married in 2016.  Ryan and Sierra would go on to welcome two little boys named Isaac and Samuel and eventually settle in Forest Hill, MD.  Anyone who ever met Ryan will tell you that he was extremely proud of all five of his children and loved talking about each one of them.  They were the loves of his life.

From the age of 16 years old until the time of his death, Ryan was extremely active in the fire service.  It was truly his passion.  As a teenager, he was a member of the East Moriches Fire Department where he participated on the fire department’s racing team.  Upon moving to Maryland, he quickly joined the current Essex Volunteer Fire Department – Station 51 (formerly Hyde Park) and served in multiple capacities, including as Vice President, firefighter, and engine and ambulance driver.  He would go on to receive his National EMR accreditation along with Firefighter I and II, and pumps operator certifications.  Later, he would become a Lieutenant in another Baltimore Co. volunteer fire company before joining Jacksonsville Volunteer Fire Department – Station 47.  Ryan adored his brotherhood and sisterhood of firefighters and EMS providers.  He felt a strong bond and allegiance to them and would drop anything he was doing to stand beside them.

  Ryan was truly larger than life and will be missed immensely.  He could light up any room with his quick wit, charming smile, and “sparkling personality.”  His endless supply of dad jokes kept friends and family laughing, and his arsenal of practical jokes kept us all on our toes.  He rarely met a person he didn’t call friend.  Ryan left his mark wherever he went and, because of that, he will never truly be gone.  We will love him until our final breaths.  See you soon, Ryan!  Keep the bonfire going and the chicken legs hot for us.   

Services for Ryan will be held at a later date in both Maryland and New York.  Dates and times will be announced via Facebook and personal invitation.  The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance (www.colorectalcancer.org) in memory of Ryan. 

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