"Ryan was my best friend. He made me a better person and helped me find confidence in myself. He made me laugh, he comforted me, he challenged me, and he loved all of me without hesitation. I never doubted who he was nor questioned his intentions. We were confident in us, in our marriage, and in who God wanted us to be. I am so proud to have called him my husband. We were best friends to the core. I believe God made him for me, and me for him. I am especially grateful for the time I spent with him the last ten months after he got his cancer diagnosis. We shared many moments of sadness and fear, but Ryan stayed so positive and confident in God's plan for him and our marriage. His joy and love for the Lord was what made me fall in love with him and what made it so easy to love him. " - Zoe Torres

Ryan William Torres was born on September 9th, 1997 at Clovis Community Hospital. His parents, Mario and Elizabeth Torres finished blending their family when they gave Lance and Zoya their little brother. Ryan spent his entire life in Fresno, California where he was surrounded by a loving family, encouraging church community, and dear friends. Ryan is known best for his puns, contagious smile, sense of humor, warm approach, and willingness to befriend anyone.

Ryan's joy and love for family shined, especially to his teammates on the baseball field. Baseball was a huge part of Ryan's life. He played Cal Ripken rookies through Babe Ruth, Clovis Unified School ball elementary through highschool, multiple all-star teams, with the Central Valley Rays in Cooperstown, New York where he emerged as the Home Run Derby champion, with the World Boys Baseball USA team, and on various travel ball teams. He and his parents spent the majority of weekends traveling for baseball, building deep relationships with other baseball families. Ryan loved to be surrounded by a team, and create a team that felt more like family. As a Starbucks barista for five years, Ryan's love for life and people traveled past his coworkers and into the people he met every day. He often dug past coffee orders and naturally brewed conversations of religion, politics, and conspiracy theories.

Ryan enjoyed meeting new people and hearing new stories, which led him to minor in anthropology and major in criminology at Fresno State. He was passionate and excited as he prepared himself to serve his community. His community reached further than the City of Fresno, stretching to anyone who needed to hear God's word. This led Ryan to serve in local missions like at the Fresno Rescue Mission or Poverello House, as well as an international mission to Haiti.

Following his graduation from Fresno State, he continued his education in the Fresno City College Police Academy, and was eager to finish so that he could propose to his girlfriend, Zoe. Before completing the Police Academy in 2021, the Fresno Police Department picked up Ryan and there he served for four years. The goal to be a part of the SWAT team pushed Ryan to train hard, up until he got sick in May of 2024. As an officer, Ryan was gentle and patient but took special care to uphold the law. He was intentional and respectful in the way he would talk to others like a friend, as an equal. Ryan always saw the best in everyone.

Following their marriage, Ryan and Zoe had a unique way of uniting people through their hobbies. Ryan had many hobbies and he did them well. Playing guitar was an outlet for Ryan, Zoe would often come home to him playing as he decompressed from work. Ryan collected comic books, records, whiskey, and cards which he loved sharing with others. A game night, drinking beers, and sipping on whiskey with his closest friends was one of Ryan's favorite pastimes. Ryan had an insatiable appetite for learning new things. In particular, he loved learning about finance, politics, religion, new music, and conspiracy theories. If Ryan wasn't watching YouTube, you could find him playing guitar, or hanging out with friends. One of his favorite things to do was spend time with family: Zoe and her family, Ryan's parents and siblings, his nieces, Aria, Ariah, and Brielle, and nephew, Parker, and his cousins and extended family.

Ryan's ability to spread joy, seek positivity, and smile wide, even throughout his cancer journey, was admirable. He was known as a light and nothing could dull him, not even cancer. God used him as a vessel to share the gospel and show the unconditional love of Jesus to any nurse, doctor, tech, custodian, and any other medical staff he encountered. Ryan was truly amazing, and his love for people and Jesus was so evident and something that will live on through those who knew him.