KITCHENER - Thom Ryan had a great love for the outdoors, but that doesn't mean he believed in roughing it.

Each summer for the past several years, he'd do a backcountry canoe trip in Algonquin Park with his partner Jeff, and every year they'd have to do the portage twice, to be able to carry all the stuff - the comfy air mattresses and the cooler full of steaks.

Ryan, who died Saturday at age 45, brought the same energy and quirky humour to his work with the LGBTQ community in Waterloo Region. He volunteered for years with the Tri-Pride festival and with Spectrum, the region's first LGBTQ community space.

Ryan was diagnosed with cancer about nine months ago, and was very private about his health, said Jeff. Before Ryan's health worsened, he was very active and loved to travel. He had his pilot's licence, was an avid hiker and kayaker, and he and Jeff went several times to scuba dive in Honduras, Belize and Jamaica.

"Thom was one of a handful of people that I would consider to be a pillar of the (LGBTQ) community," said Jim Parrott, executive director of Spectrum.

He was a tireless advocate for the rainbow community, Parrott said. "The community has faced so many challenges, and he had the organizational skills and the talent to do something about it.

"He was one of those go-to people who help make things happen."

Organizing Tri-Pride "was very labour-intensive," Parrott said. "So many people got burned out. He was a rock. He just provided so much stability, and got things done."

Ryan was born in 1974, the second youngest of seven children, and grew up in Brampton. The family moved to Cambridge when he was in high school. He stayed in the region - he and Jeff lived in Cambridge, restoring their 150-year-old home. He was close to his family, going weekly to cut the lawn at his parents' house and care for their flower beds.

"He was the most giving person I've ever met," said Jeff, adding that he keeps finding receipts for donations Ryan had made.

Ryan studied political science at Wilfrid Laurier University and then earned an MBA from the University of Windsor. He worked for years in marketing, first for Canada's Technology Triangle, then for Communitech, and since 2012 as a senior business development officer at the City of Kitchener.

In his volunteer work, he knew everyone but often was often a background player, quietly getting things done, said longtime friend Shelley Secrett, who last saw her friend in the fall when they were both getting cancer treatment.

Like Parrott, she appreciated Ryan's ability to inject a bit of humour when the going got tough. She recalls one email chain that he sent in haiku form that got everyone laughing.

"He was charming, and just funny all the time, in a really genuine way," she said.

"The LGBTQ community in Waterloo Region lost a beloved advocate and community-builder this weekend," tweeted Sara Casselman, executive director of the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region. "He was a key organizer of @tripridefest for years, and held in high regard by so many of us."

"I just see Thom as a really community-minded person, who wants people to feel welcomed and accepted so they can be their best selves," Secrett said.

"He was a truly amazing guy."

His family and friends gathered on Tuesday to remember him and celebrate his life.

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cthompson@therecord.com

Twitter: @ThompsonRecord