I was 17 when I joined the Source as a Founding Member in 2011. They let us climb a week before opening, while things were still a little messy and the staff had some occasional downtime. I remember bragging to my brother-in-law that he also needed to switch gyms because the Source staff would climb with its members! I felt so cool that Bryan or Michael would occasionally flop down on the mat and work a boulder problem. I used to bring dates to the gym because it made me look/feel good that Bryan or Jessica would always be at the front desk and address me by name in front of whoever I brought in (teenage ego stoke). 

Bryan always made me feel like he was a friend years before we actually became friends. When he asked how I was, he wanted an honest answer, not just a greeting. And when he was my belayer, I felt like I could send anything. That’s who he was. Someone who took the time to recognize and believe in people every day, no matter who they were. And it won’t be forgotten. 

My son and I started visiting The Source several years ago as a fun way to bond and learn about climbing. Bryan was one of the first to help get us started and even entertained a group of my son’s friends at a birthday party we had there. Immediately, we were all drawn to Bryan’s charisma and zest for life. Many years went bye where we didn’t visit, until a few months ago when we decided to pop in and do a climb. There was Bryan, smiling ear to ear and greeting us like he had known us forever.  In my 47 years, there are only a handful of people who have left such a lasting impression, and Bryan is among the top of that list!

My condolences go out to all of his family and friends, and to his parents, you raised one heck of a man