By Kira Walters, Staff Writer
Like so many times before, friends made their way to the Aviation skatepark to hang out. They gathered with balloons and a posterboard to make a special birthday card for their friend.
This was no ordinary party, though. By the time the colorful birthday balloons and others scrawled with special messages soared into the sky, everyone was crying. On Jan. 11, the day Ryker Clark should have been celebrating his 18th birthday, friends, teachers and family members instead were celebrating his life while mourning his sudden passing over the weekend.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”8″ display=”basic_slideshow” arrows=”1″]Clark was a well-known and well-liked member of the First Flight High School community who was scheduled to graduate early later this month. He lived on the Outer Banks for the majority of his life and the people who knew him had countless good things to say about him.
“He was just always a happy person, a very good guy. He always cared about others,” said one of his many friends, junior Alex Beasley.
Principal Chuck Lansing and guidance counselors visited Clark’s classes on Monday after students learned of his passing over the weekend in social media posts and communications from the school. Lansing has made sure to provide any assistance needed by students and staff during this delicate grieving process.
“I’ve observed people having different responses and waves of responses and those coming in at different times,” Lansing said. “Mine was very much immediate and continues to be, and obviously we extended ourselves and services to students and staff knowing that grieving takes time and that we just want to keep sending the message that our doors are open and that we’re here for you guys as much as we are here for Ryker.”
Mourners will be able to pay their respects to Clark at a Friday visitation from 4 to 8 p.m. at Gallop Funeral Services (6917 S. Croatan Hwy, Nags Head), while his memorial service will take place at FFHS on Saturday (Jan. 15) at 10 a.m. According to Clark’s obituary, masks must be worn at the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, donations in Clark’s memory can be made to Gallop Funeral Services.
Clark livened every room he walked into, including his classrooms. His cheerful personality was recognized and admired by his teachers as much as his friends and peers.
“I just know that class was more fun when he was around. He was a kind, smart, funny, well-liked individual (who) would brighten the class,” English teacher Ian Godwin said. “It’s been a little lonely and a little less bright in class.”
Along with having an undeniably optimistic nature, Clark was constantly checking in on his friends, regardless of what was happening in his personal life.
“He’s so much more than what people think from the outside,” senior Heather Winfree said. “He was literally the most genuine, sweetest, funniest person I’ve ever met. He was just way more than what people assume.”
Clark’s sense of humor was second to none. Everyone who had the pleasure of witnessing it agreed it was one of the many unforgettable things about him, including his homeroom teacher the past four years, Jason Breiholz.
“I just remember he was very comical and we did share a lot of similar sarcastic qualities that we both kind of laughed about,” Breiholz said. “I just remember how funny our conversations used to be and just overall how good that homeroom was. We had really good talks that I always found super funny or interesting.”
It is rare to meet someone with a genuinely good heart, and Clark was one of the very few who cared more about others than himself, his friends said. That being said, his friends also recalled Clark dreaming about his future often.
“He had his whole life scheduled from the second he came out to the second he died. He had everything figured out,” senior Tyde Mezzacca remembered. “I wish people knew how far he was going to go. Like, I’m not going to lie to you, he was probably gonna do better than 90% of these people.”
For many people who knew Clark, these past few days have felt unreal. It is hard to imagine not experiencing his joyful disposition or feeling the kindness he shared everywhere possible.
“Well, obviously, the class that I had with him is a little empty. It’s a little empty anytime you’ve got a person that’s that big a personality, and he was a big personality, anytime you’ve got a loss of that, there is a part that’s missing,” gym teacher Jim Prince said. “He was here last Friday and one of the things I thought of is, ‘Those guys that played on that volleyball team when they played the last 10 minutes of class, did it cross their minds that he wasn’t there anymore?'”
Sophomore Kira Walters can be reached at 24walterski77@daretolearn.org.
