More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
The friends and family of a young man who died after falling from the Panorama building in Ashford will come together to celebrate his life today.
The service for “kind and hard-working” Ryan Males, 22, will be led by Canon Colin Preece at St Mary’s Church, in Churchyard, Ashford, at 2.15pm.
After the service, people are invited to The Riverside Inn, in Torrington Road, South Ashford.
Since his death on Sunday, October 18, flowers and notes have been left at the base of the apartment block in Park Street.
“We miss him every moment and we’ll be forever thankful he became part of our lives and family” - Tracy Roberts
This week, Ryan’s foster mother Tracy Roberts, from South Willesborough, described him as a beautiful and passionate young man.
She said: “Ryan was much loved by his family and many friends. He was a kind, loving, hard-working young man and he was passionate about getting on in his IT career.
“He was a beautiful young man with a heart-melting smile.
“We miss him every moment and we’ll be forever thankful he became part of our lives and family.”
Ryan moved to Ashford when he was 12 and attended the Norton Knatchbull School, in Hythe Road, Ashford.
He moved in with Ms Roberts, an accountant, and her family when he was 16 as he was very close to her son, Jamie.
He later went to Highworth Grammar School, in Quantock Drive, for sixth form for a few months before transferring to K College, in Folkestone, to do a BTEC in performing arts.
Ms Roberts, who also has two sons and two daughters, added: “He graduated from college in 2010. He did very well. He was a bit of a performer.
“He also liked photography and taking photos of sunsets. He could also play the piano.
“He was good at so many things.”
In 2011, he hitchhiked to Prague with his siblings for Link Community Development International, a charity that provides educational programmes in five countries. The trip took them five days.
Ryan, who had worked at both Pizza Hut in Ashford and at the Ashford International Hotel, also spent 18 months in Exeter pursuing a career in IT, and worked for Sitel UK, providers of customer experience management.
He returned to Ashford earlier this year and took a job at rail travel company Voyages sncf in their internal IT support department for several months.
Over the last few months he had been working part-time as an ecologist, but was keen to carry on with a career in IT.
Ms Roberts added: “Our hearts go out to everyone who is sharing in the grief of his sudden loss.”
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