鈥淥nce you met him, you鈥檇 never forget him.鈥�
That鈥檚 how Pete Ryan鈥檚 long-time friend Dennis Bucher said of the world-famous chainsaw carver, who passed away on Jan. 8. As Hope and the art community around the world mourn the loss of an icon, Ryan leaves behind an immortal legacy of art, song and love for his community.
District councillor and Chainsaw Carving Competition organizer Victor Smith met Pete Ryan while competing in logger sports. At the time, Ryan was living in Vancouver; it was at the PNE back in the mid 80s where Ryan carved a life-sized elephant.
Smith said Ryan was a mentor to younger carvers such as fellow 鈥楽aw Dogs鈥� and 鈥楥arver Kings鈥� star Ryan Cook.
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鈥淭hey would all go to Pete Ryan鈥檚 on the last night to party together, sit around and have a fire,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淗e made it like a brotherhood for everybody. He accepted all carvers.鈥�
Cook penned his own heartfelt tribute to Ryan on his Facebook page.
鈥淗e taught me how to carve an eagle, he taught me how to carve cats,鈥� Cook said. 鈥淗e taught me how to carve with the heart. He was an inspiration to me and so many other carvers. My heart goes out to Lynn and the kids. I love you, big guy! Those clouds in heaven better watch out 鈥榗ause they are gonna be looking amazing in the sky from now on.鈥�
Ryan鈥檚 natural artistic talent grew from an early age.
鈥淗e was already an artist from the word 鈥榞o鈥�; some people are natural artists,鈥� Bucher said. He recalled stories from Ryan鈥檚 late parents, telling him about Pete drawing on the walls and winning art contests as a child.
Smith said Ryan had an ability to see the carving in the wood while it was still a raw log.
鈥淗e says 鈥榠t鈥檚 in there; I鈥檝e just got to knock off the wood so I can show you,鈥� Smith said.
Sandie Maximuk recalled when Ryan carved a statue in tribute to her uncle and Hope Minor Hockey staple Murray Sullivan, which now stands tall in front of the Dan Sharrers Aquatic Centre in Hope.
鈥淗e asked us for my uncle鈥檚 hockey gear so he could make sure that the carving was as close as he could get it, then he brought it over to my grandparents鈥� house and did an unveiling for the family,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are forever grateful for not only the carving but for the friendship we had.鈥�
Ryan鈥檚 easy-going attitude meant he didn鈥檛 force his talents into a time-sensitive box.
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 rush anything,鈥� Bucher said. 鈥淚f you wanted to order something from him, it鈥檒l be ready when it鈥檚 ready. He didn鈥檛 have just one carving on the go; he鈥檇 have one over here he just started and one over there he鈥檚 trying to finish.鈥�
In addition to being a visual artist, Ryan was a talented musician, working to the tune of blues bands and jamming with local musicians on the guitar, blues harp, banjo or harmonica.
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鈥淗e liked the blues,鈥� Bucher recalled. 鈥淲hen I went over to visit him, he would drag me off to his music room and we would sit down and he鈥檇 show me his new chords and what he鈥檚 learned.
鈥淚f you walked by the shop when he was working, you鈥檇 hear blues in the background. He had the stereo playing and he鈥檇 whistle along or pull out his [blues] harp and play along with it for a while.鈥�
True to his boisterous, jolly nature, Ryan loved a good joke. Angela Lott recalls him acquiring a taxidermy raccoon from her mother to use it for study. It turned out to be less for art study purposes but instead became a fixture in Ryan鈥檚 shop, in a fearsome pose and dressed in a small karate gi.
For seven years, Bucher and Ryan organized the Festival in the Woods, a celebration of all things wood centered around Canada Day, fireworks and a car show. The duo also created a museum in the Hope Theatre dedicated to chainsaw carving back when Bucher managed the theatre.
鈥淧ete was always coming out to the theatre and hanging out there when he wasn鈥檛 carving on Main Street,鈥� Bucher recalled.
Bucher鈥檚 favourite memory of their friendship was Ryan鈥檚 50th birthday. Bucher had the task of keeping Ryan occupied all day out of town while 150 of his closest friends gathered for a surprise party.
鈥淭hat weekend before his party, I鈥檇 sold him a couple of tickets, and he bought them off me for $20 a ticket, thinking he was going to the Hope Search and Rescue鈥檚 final summer party,鈥� Bucher said. 鈥淚 had the Search and Rescue guys run the door and pretend to collect tickets. He turned around to look in the hall and we had a wheelchair waiting for him because he was turning 50. I threw him in the chair and his son started wheeling him around. It was a really good surprise party, for him.鈥�
Bucher recalled one night toward the end of 2020 when he and Ryan sat around his table and the conversation turned to aging and health.
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鈥淗e said to me 鈥業 believe in reincarnation.鈥� That鈥檚 just his way of believing, right? I kind of think that,too,鈥� Bucher said. 鈥淚 mean, you don鈥檛 just drop dead, get buried and that鈥檚 the end of your spirit. He wasn鈥檛 too worried about passing away. That鈥檚 just the way Pete was. He didn鈥檛 worry about nothin鈥� in life.鈥�
Bucher said Ryan might have chosen to come back as an eagle, if given a choice.
鈥淚 said [to his wife], 鈥楲ynn, if an eagle starts hanging around the house, you know,鈥� he added.
With his love for learning, his drive to excel in his art and thirst to follow whatever was on his heart, Pete Ryan鈥檚 life was as full as it was impactful.
鈥淗e lived a good life. He did what he wanted; he lived the live he wanted to live,鈥� Bucher said. 鈥淗e was like a big brother to me.鈥�
Smith said an upcoming chainsaw carving competition would pay tribute to Ryan with a few of his carvings for sale, the proceeds of which would go to his family in Ryan鈥檚 memory. Bucher said there are plans in motion to possibly hire a carver to create a Pete Ryan statue, a fitting tribute to the artist in his favourite medium.
While plans for a memorial in his honour begin to crystallize, one notion remains clear 鈥揚ete Ryan鈥檚 joyful spirit and unbridled passion for his art will live on.
adam.louis@hopestandard.com
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