Ryan Neil Roberson

West Point, 1994

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Derek Dela-Cruz on November 21, 2005:

I am shocked over the tragic loss of my classmate and friend. Although I have not spoken nor seen him since West Point, I can still vividly recall his many strong qualities. His sometimes sharply sarcastic humor often put us in tears and was exactly what helped many of us survive the doldrums of cadet life. As a fellow member of the Latter-Day Saint faith, I respected Ryan the most for aspiring to the noble values of his religion, while still accepting the same human imperfections borne by us all. By not pretending to be - nor apologizing for not being - anything more than a mortal man, Ryan was, in my mind, immortal. Ryan's passing from this world saddens me. I will never have the opportunity, in this life, to see Ryan again, perhaps on the Plain during some future 1994 Class Reunion. I will never talk with him, in this life, over the vastly different directions that fate has taken us since graduation. I will never, in this life, introduce him to my wife and children, nor invite him to our home for dinner where we can sit and wax nostalgic over our West Point days. However...I find comfort in knowing that Ryan has gone on to the next life. I am sure that Ryan is there...anxiously waiting all of us and his next opportunity to make us absolutely roar with laughter again. Derek Dela-Cruz USMA '94

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