Tributes to Windsor native Ryan Barron are pouring out as friends and family mourn the sudden death of the skateboarder and musician — while Vancouver police continue to search for answers about the hit-and-run incident that took his life.
Terry Barron, Ryan’s father, urged the unidentified driver in the fatal collision to do the right thing and come forward.
“It would help us in the grieving process,” said Terry Barron on Monday. “It would help bring this to a conclusion.”
At press time, Vancouver police said they were still looking for the suspect vehicle — an older model Mitsubishi sedan, silver in colour.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call officers at 604-717-3012 or make an anonymous tip via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Ryan Barron skateboarding in downtown Windsor, April 2015.
Ryan Barron, 30, was skateboarding with his friend Dallas Ives around 2:30 a.m. Sunday in a quiet residential neighbourhood in central Vancouver — Heather Street between West 52nd and 54th Avenue.
Police said the northbound Mitsubishi struck Ryan with its driver-side front end, and left the scene without stopping.
Ives and a neighbourhood resident tried to help Ryan until paramedics arrived, with Ives attempting to perform CPR.
Ryan was rushed to hospital — where he succumbed to his injuries.
“We’re doing our best to comprehend what has happened,” Terry Barron said. “We still have so many questions.”
As of Monday afternoon, there was no word on the whereabouts of Ives, and friends expressed concern about his emotional state.
Ryan Barron (left) at a hardcore house show in Windsor, March 2015.
Although Ryan Barron moved to Vancouver about a year ago, his ties to Windsor remained strong. His passions for skateboarding and hardcore music forged many connections among young people in the area.
Throughout the past 10 years, Ryan organized and promoted countless shows for extremely loud bands from the region and beyond. His own band — Days Fade — lasted from 2005 to 2013, and featured Ryan on vocals or on bass guitar at various points in its history.
Such was Ryan’s impact on the Windsor all ages scene that an annual festival of heavy music taking place this summer has been renamed in his honour. The Great Lakes Heavy Fest, which Ryan helped start, is now Barron Fest 2016.
“I’m lost for words at this point, but what I do know is that Ryan was the most caring person in this city,” said Dan Donlon, one of the organizers of the festival.
“He is the main reason why a majority of people in Windsor’s scene came together. He always loved seeing everyone having a good time. That’s what he lived for. Good times.”
Ryan Barron performing with Days Fade.
Within 24 hours of the June 18 event being posted on Facebook, it attracted more than 500 commitments to attend — before a venue had even been announced.
Donlon said Monday that he’s still trying to find a place for the show. Proceeds will benefit the Barron family.
Meanwhile, local skateboarders posted photos and videos that showcased Ryan’s skateboarding skills, from his teenage years to the present. “People at the skate park looked up to him. A lot of people did,” Donlon said.
At the Atkinson Memorial Skate Park on Monday, skateboarders piled boards and spray-painted words in tribute to Ryan. One piece of graffiti on a ramp declared the park’s new name as “Barron Park.”
From close friends to acquaintances, members of the community shared stories of Ryan offering hospitality to visiting bands, coming to someone’s aid in a mosh pit, meeting up for skateboarding sessions, or just kicking back with a beer and a joint.
Ryan Barron (bottom right) with friends and co-workers of HBI Canada in Vancouver, B.C.
But on the west coast, Ryan’s employer had an alternate perspective on the transplanted Windsorite.
“He was very focused,” said Demetra Georganas, co-owner of HBI Canada, a distributor of rolling papers and other smoking supplies.
“In the last six months, he made a commitment to the company. He wanted to succeed in this company, to climb the ladder … We saw a different part of him here.”
Georganas said Ryan moved out to Vancouver with some of his closest friends from Windsor, and the four of them worked in HBI Canada’s warehouse.
Ryan in particular established himself as “a quiet leader” who played an integral role in the company’s move to a larger location. “He was eager to please. He worked very hard. He was very dependable,” Georganas said.
Last week, Ryan was promoted to floor supervisor. “He felt like he finally caught a break. He was able to find a job that he liked and apply himself to it,” Georganas said.
“Everybody here is quite devastated. He was a big part of our team. We are a family business, run as a family. It’s been very difficult for our staff.”
Ryan Barron on the west coast, January 2016.
Terry Barron said his son loved the freedom of his lifestyle, but was also happy in his new job. “He enjoyed what he did. He was very laid-back, but outgoing and welcoming. Always willing to help out. The community was quite fond of him because of that.”
Terry said that Ryan lived with his mother when he was in Windsor, and she was in Florida when word of the collision came. She was en route to Vancouver at press time.
Ryan is also survived by his older sister, two half-sisters, and a half-brother.
Terry said arrangements for Ryan will be made in Windsor.
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