It is with great sadness that I am reporting the Death of Ryan Webster, known here as WHIPPLEDADDY.

Ryan's wife Patty called me tonight and informed me that last Tuesday, while Ryan was home recouperating from having a cancerous brain tumor removed, he suffered an embolism and passed away. Patty said it was a fast and peacful death.

Ryan was scheduled to have had a cancerous kidney removed today and the possiblility of more cancer surgeries was a present. Maybe this was God's Way of keeping our friend from a long suffering.

If you are religious please pray for Ryan and his Family, If you are not please have a good thought for Him and Patty.

A prayer goes out for Ryan, and most of all for his beloved family. What a loss they must be feeling. I remember when Ryan posted about losing his precious pet and how badly he felt. I feel the same sadness upon reading of his loss. He will be sorely missed on the forum. May God be with him and his family

I am so sad. I just don't know what to say. Please give Patty my best wishes. I can't imagine her loss. LBT has lost an old dear friend. The escape from suffering is the only blessing. I'm so so sorry.

Thanks for letting us know, Greg.

This is terribly sad news. I loved Ryan and all that he stood for. His stories were so close to my heart and his private messages of encouragement to me will never be forgotten. God bless this wonderful man and welcome him with open arms into a much safer, painfree, worry free home where he can tell stories forever. Comfort Patty and his family and strengthen them for the days ahead and remind them, Lord that You are the ultimate comforter and healer of all such pain and suffering. Amen..

Thank you so much, Greg, for letting us know.. Hugs to you as well..

A prayer goes out for Ryan, and most of all for his beloved family. What a loss they must be feeling. I remember when Ryan posted about losing his precious pet and how badly he felt. I feel the same sadness upon reading of his loss. He will be sorely missed on the forum. May God be with him and his family. I firmly believe God doesn't make mistakes and that he took Ryan when he did to spare him any long-term suffering. It didn't sound at all good with him also having a cancerous kidney.

*whispers* Wow..

Life is precious people. Life each day to the fullest.

My condolences to the family and all of Ryan's friends here.

You will all be in my prayers.

PS.

Thanks, Lord, for sharing such a special soul with us. Ryan touched the hearts of many people and I'm sure that they feel their lives were blessed by coming in contact with such a caring person. He will be missed but remembered with a smile.

I'm so so sorry Patty,

I haven't been here but a few months but I know how much both of you are loved on here. May God hold you tight during this trying and difficult times. Just know we are all here for you and praying for you. God is good and will take you in his loving arms and hold you tight.

Hugs,

Whippledaddy had a wonderful way with words! I've so enjoyed reading his eloquent posts. He came across as a caring man for his wife and family. He will be sorely missed.

Shawn

This was Ryan's last post here. It was on June 18th of this year. This was on the 'What was your last straw?' thread.

In honor of him and his love for others and his love of life.. I'm posting it here. Cheers, Ryan! I pray you've found peace with the man you are and were.

I'd been fat since I was nine years old, and I had gotten pretty much used to it. Not happy about it, but resigned, and yes, a little comfortable. There is a payoff to the fatness. For each of us it is different. For me it was that the fat insulated me from social interaction. I didnt' have to go to school functions like mixers, or the prom. Since no girls wanted to go out with me I didn't have to worry about that either.

I even asked some out to appease my friends and my Mother, who couldn't ever bring herself to believe I wasn't the most handsome boy since Ricky Nelson. My fat saved me then, 'cause no one ever accepted.

Even though I was always fat, I was always physically active, and sports minded. I was on the school wrestling team, and raced motorcycles pro/am.

I"ve always had a physical job. Chef. Work work work. Twelve and fourteen hour days on your feet, moving sweating, lifting. Then a great job fell in my lap.

I became a supervisor in food service in a prison. State employed. No physical exertion. A tough day is when no one woke me up to take my break. LOL.

I gained forty four pounds almost instantly. All that activity was keeping me from getting fatter. When the activity stopped, the storage of calories started.

Nothing fit. The hot weather came and it was pure torture. Then a prisoner grieved me (they get to write grievances, and they are heard, and action can be taken against the prison employee. Yes, I know it sucks. But it is there, and we must deal with it),

This grievance said that the reason they were being fed small portions was because I was eating up all the stock. Strangely enough that was my wake up call. Now they get fed the portions they do because a nutritional department sets the portions. My gormandizing had no effect on that.

That night I looked in a full length mirror for the first time in years. I saw a wasted body, stretched to the bursting point by an addiction to chewing and swallowing food. I saw humorless eyes staring back at me, and I saw a face dulled and wrinkled by care and self loathing. I saw the chances not taken, the joys not shared. The girls not kissed.

I saw the deep nights without friendship, the endless days spent sweating in the shade. I saw emotions being replaced by a compulsion to eat, I saw food replacing my family and friends.

I saw a wasted life.

And I didn't like it.

And there was no one to blame, but the fat jerk staring back at me.

I hated him, and I wanted him to go away. He had imprisoned me. The real me. The me that lives inside the adipose penitentiary of my addicted soul.

Some where inside, behind those piggish, greedy eyes; beneath that squalid, white, mottled flesh; just below those pendulous chins; somewhere in there was the real me.

And he was dying.

It was him or me.

At that moment I chose......me. Life. I chose to change, to fight until the end.

I chose to fight that demon who drove me to eat everything. Nothing left on the plate. No leftovers in my life.

The next day I made that call.

And the first thing I thought as I dialed that phone was...."I'm not doing this to LOSE anything. I'm doing it to GAIN. To gain a life. To gain a life worth living.

Live, love and be well. Ryan.

Oh, goodness, I feel sick. What a terrible thing for his poor family. That's very sad. I didnt even know he was ill.

PhotoNut, thanks for posting Ryan's last post...he had such a way with words.

Those on LBT who have been here a long time and had the pleasure of reading Ryan's many words will be eternally grateful that he touched many lives through this forum. May he rest in peace.

Thank you Greg. I know this hasn't been easy for any of us who know and love Ryan and Patty. I know you will share our warm thoughts with Patty.

I'm glad his suffering is over.

Photonut, I too want to say thank you for pulling up that post.

I will go back and read many of his post as they were inspirational to me then and will be more so now.

Ryan was winning his battle with his weight. He just lost the battle with time. A battle we will all lose some time. And even though he was lossing the weight there were several areas that were not affect. They were his heart and his love for his wife Patty. These areas were hugh and he had no intention of getting rid of them.

I found Ryan Death Notice and have posted it with Patty's permission:

Ryan Lynn Webster

Mar. 8, 1952-Aug. 8, 2006

Ryan Lynn Webster, age 54, of alma, passed away, Tuesday, August 8, 2006 at Gratiot Medical Center in Alma.

Ryan was born March 8, 1952 in Alma the son of Arthur and Julia (Shepard) Webster. He graduated from Alma High School in 1970 and learned his culinary skills apprenticing under Scott Martin. He married Patricia Kohn on July 25, 1993 at the First Church of God in Alma. He worked for 36 years as a chef helping start, Apple Mt. Resort, Canadian Lakes and the Soaring Eagle Restaurants. The past three years Ryan had been working for the State of Michigan as food Supervisor of the Carson City Prison. In 2003 he published a book "Havenwood". He also owned and operated several antique and used furniture stores in Alma and St. Louis.

Ryan booked himself for children's birthday parties, weddings and many special events as Ry-Ry the Clown and Frilly the Fairy entertaining and making children and adults laugh. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle and spending time with his dog Abby.

Ryan is survived by his wife Patty of Alma, a sister, Hazel "Jackie" (Clifford) Reynolds of Elsie, two brothers, Dan (Margaret) Howe of Shepherd and James (Nancy) Howe of Clare and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A celebration of Ryan's life will take place Friday, August 11th at 11a.m. at Lux-Moody-Wolfel Funeral Home in Alma with Pastor Steve Wimmer officiating. Interment will be in Elm Hall Cemetery. Visitation will be held Wednesday from 7-9p.m. and Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9p.m. at the funeral home.

This is so very sad. Ryan is a special man and a wonderful friend. My heart goes out to Patty. He will be greatly missed.

Thanks Greg.

Becky

I'm deeply saddended by this tragic news. Ryan helped me in so many ways, probably in ways he never even realized. He loved his wife so much, his life became taking care of her, making sure she was ok, making sure she was as comfortable as could be. My prayers go out to Patty and his family. May God Bless you Ryan.

This really saddens me so much, I will miss Ryan. God seems to take "special" people, so we know Ryan was special.