Ryan Lee Hundley
Published 01/27/2012
- 11:38 a.m. CST
Ryan Lee Hundley, age 27, passed away after a long battle from complications of Cystic Fibrosis on Saturday, January 21st. Ryan was a true friend, brother, nephew and son to all who loved and adored him. He is survived locally by his parents, Ron and Cheryl Hundley, his sister Rebecca Elliott, as well as his aunt and uncle Kay Hundley and Jim Adams. He is survived by many extended family members, from Missouri to Kansas to Illinois to Florida; including his aunt and uncle Cathy and Brent Boyd; his aunt, Jane Dougherty; and his uncle, Buddy Dougherty. Ryan was preceded in death by his beloved grandparents, Ben and Helen Hundley, and Raymond and Virginia Boyd. Ryan was completing his education at Navarro College prior to falling ill, with dreams of a career in the field of nursing. He was also a lover of all types of music, his favorite being the Red Hot Chili Peppers; as well as all types of sports. An avid supporter of most local Dallas professional teams, his true love was for UT Longhorn football, which he enjoyed watching every season - good or bad. Ryan was a longtime member of the First Christian Church of Duncanville, which served as a second family to him. Ryan was fun, upbeat, positive and incredibly sharp. He never let the hard days get him down and fought like a soldier on the occasions he was ill. It was important to Ryan that he never be defined by his illness and overcame an incredible amount of adversity throughout his young life. On July 12th, 2008, Ryan was given the ultimate gift: a second chance at life through the miracle of organ donation, by way of a double lung transplant. His donor family had been a genuine inspiration to Ryan, as getting to know them brought happiness and peace to all family members involved. After the transplant, Ryan grew as a person and was pursuing his college education. Finally, he was able to experience the freedoms he had only dreamed about. Ryan was a true gift to all of us and he will live on in our hearts forever. In lieu of gifts or flowers, it was Ryan's express wish that donations be made in his honor to [Baylor Health Care System Foundation, In Memory of Ryan Hundley, 3600 Gaston Ave., Ste. 100, Dallas, TX 75226], or to the charity of your choice. And finally, the family would like to thank, from the bottom of their hearts, Ryan's teams of doctors who worked overtime to develop a special relationship with him as well as his family. To Drs Randall Rosenblatt and Chris Blewitt, Drs Richard Silver and Fernando Mandujano, as well as Dr. David Hanks: Please know how much we appreciate the efforts you, and your colleagues, and your extended staff, have made in order to keep Ryan well, and to help him achieve his goals and dreams. A Celebration of Life was held at 12:00 PM, Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at First Christian Church, 203 S. Main St. Duncanville. Visitation with the family was 6-8 PM, Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at Jaynes Memorial Chapel. A graveside service was held prior to the service at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, January 25, 2012, at Grove Hill Memorial Park, Dallas.