It is with shattered hearts and profound love that we share the passing of our beloved son, Ryan Christopher Hastings, who left this world suddenly on August 17, 2025, at the age of 24.
Ryan brought immeasurable joy, laughter and love into our lives. Though his life was short, it was beautiful. It was filled with deep meaningful connections, unique life experiences and the comfort of being truly seen and appreciated for the brave soul that he was.
Ryan was diagnosed at age 3 with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), but he never let this diagnosis define him. Ryan was strength, resilience, humor, love and hope.
Ryan’s strength was derived, in part, from his fierce and loyal siblings, Kaitlyn and Hunter. In his brightest moments and through his most difficult days, they were his constant - his protectors, his companions and his biggest supporters. Their love never wavered. They let Ryan know what it meant to be deeply loved - not just in words, but in actions, loyalty and presence. In return, Ryan gave them gifts that shaped them into the caring and loving young adults that they are today. This is love in the purest form.
Speaking of love, Ryan LOVED sports. In his early years, when he was able to walk, he played every sport he could. As walking and running became increasingly difficult, he found other ways to follow his passion. With the endless love and support of family, friends and the entire Plainville and King Philip community, Ryan continued to be an inspiring and valued member of many teams.
Ryan wasn’t the “brother of an athlete” …coaches and players considered him an integral part of the organization. He would take on roles such as assistant manager, scorekeeper, equipment manager, stat keeper and even had the opportunity on occasion to call plays and decide on lineups. Ryan felt valued and appreciated. He celebrated the wins (and felt the sting of defeats) as hard as anyone. He loved his time spent at the Pop Warner, KP and PAL fields, always present with a giant smile and positive attitude that captivated everyone.
Ryan also become the unofficial “Voice of KP”. Special accommodations were made to get Ryan to the press box at the high school where he would announce all baseball and football home games. Additionally, he announced both boys and girls basketball games.
Having this meaningful and fulfilling experience at KP led Ryan to choose to study Sports Broadcasting at Dean College, where he lived on campus and hired his own personal care attendants. After his first year, the pandemic forced him to move home.
While home, Ryan googled the “best schools in the U.S. for disabled students”, and came across the University of Illinois. Without telling his family, he submitted the application, transferred his credits and filled out the FAFSA forms.
Three weeks prior to the start of the fall semester, Ryan broke the news to his mom that he would be moving half way across the country to start a new journey. What??? This was incredibly unsettling to his parents, who knew how much care he needed and were concerned that their “baby” would be 1000 miles away, not right down the road in Franklin. But, of course, reservations were not shared, and Ryan was supported and encouraged to follow his dreams.
And follow his dreams he did! His time at UIUC was quite possibly the best years of his life! He loved every minute there! He forged deep and meaningful friendships with other disabled and able bodied students, had seasons tickets to football and basketball games and absolutely loved his life while he was there. His favorite bar was Kam’s, like Cheers…everyone knew his name!
On paper, Ryan’s major at UIUC was Journalism..but he couldn’t fool us! We knew that he actually had a double major…Illini football and partying! And we were perfectly fine with that. Ryan was incredibly happy, had beautiful friends there, and he felt loved, supported and proud. That’s all we could ever ask for. He was looking forward to returning to college (a week after he died) and finishing his final semester.
There are so many people to thank for enriching Ryan’s life and endlessly supporting our family. In brief, we acknowledge every single educator and physical therapist in Plainville and KP that adored and helped Ryan, every coach that embraced Ryan and our family, every beautiful friend of Ryan, Hunter and Kaitlyn and their amazing families, Jeff and Julie Kinney and the love and support they provided, Wendy and Amanda with Panera Bread for their friendship and fundraising assistance, the Teamsters Local 25 for their unwavering support, and every friend and stranger that helped with our medical needs…the list goes on.
Ryan’s life was also profoundly enriched by his best friend and caregiver, Dan Nineve. Dan made sure that Ryan lived his best life, always, and gave him strength he didn’t know he had. He was his protector, therapist and stylist, all in one. They had unforgettable adventures and wonderful times together. He was very strict about Ryan’s wardrobe and appearance, always ensuring that Ryan left the house with the perfect outfit and way too much cologne (according to Ryan)! They had a deep and meaningful friendship, the kind we all aspire to.
Ryan is survived by his proud and devastated parents, Linda and Scott Hastings and his devoted siblings Kaitlyn and Hunter. He is also survived by his “brother from another mother”, Jonny King. He leaves behind many aunts, uncles and cousins and is predeceased by his grandparents, Carol and Jim Suddath, Marge and Donald Hastings, and David Moore.
Ryan inspired everyone he met. He taught us how to live, how to love, and how to be resilient and brave. With quiet strength and unwavering courage, he showed us what it means to keep going, to hold onto hope, and to lead with love even in the hardest moments. His life was a lesson in love and perseverance, and his spirit will continue to guide us forever.
Visitation will be held at the Charles F. Oteri & Son Franklin Funeral Home, 33 Cottage Street, on Monday, August 25th, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend Ryan’s funeral at The Church of Emmanuel, 106 Central St, Foxborough on Tuesday, August 26, at 10:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Ryan’s memory may be made to The Jett Foundation or JB’s Keys to DMD, organizations dedicated to advancing research and improving the quality of life for all boys and young men living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Guestbook www.franklinfuneral.com