It is with great sadness we inform you of the passing of our Marketing Manager, Ryan Jamison, on Tuesday, March 11th. Join us in remembering and celebrating Ryan’s life and legacy.
Ryan Jamison was a very special person, with many hidden talents and admirable qualities. On top of being able to solve any problem thrown at him (very easily and probably in 5 seconds), Ryan displayed a calm demeanor that reassured and inspired confidence in those around him. Not many people know that Ryan was in a rock band. His role? The “screamer” part. (It makes us marketing people chuckle thinking of it, as Ryan was a man of few words)
Ryan’s Nussbaum career began when he started doing contract work to create the MOVEit app and other projects. He then hired on full-time to do a mix of website development, branding, photography, and to help promote faith and family to travelers across the highways. Ryan was instrumental in growing Nussbaum to what it is today. Outside of work, he enjoyed spending time with his wife and children, probably at a hockey game. He was in a band for many years and traveled the country doing audio production and occasional drums and piano. He was a captain in his town’s fire department. He was a deeply creative person, which translated into many areas: videography, photography, technology, and archery to name a few. Ryan also enjoyed quiet time outdoors with his dog (who got to be with him in the hospital in his final days). He was involved in his worship band at church and his faith was deeply important to him.
Each of us highly respected Ryan as a leader and mentor. He led with quiet wisdom and a quirky sense of humor that we all loved. He gently encouraged and guided his employees, but also let them take the lead on projects so they could OWNit and develop new skills. This was a huge gift – knowing that he trusted us with our unique areas of responsibility. It inspired us to do our best.
Ryan was largely others-focused. Throughout his cancer treatments, he never complained or let on just how much he was hurting. The marketing team was privileged to visit Ryan in the hospital, just a week before he passed away. Even in his last days, he was turning the attention off of himself and asking each of us what was going on in our lives. He never drew attention to himself and always listened fully to whoever was speaking, a quality hard to find.
Ryan’s life encourages us all to be radically others-focused. He will be deeply missed by the marketing team and the many, many others whose lives he touched here at Nussbaum. We are grieving the huge loss left behind but are thankful he is free from his earthly suffering.
March 11 was a beautiful Illinois day, with brilliant blue skies and that fresh spring smell that only comes with the passing of winter. But for all the beauty of these near-spring days, they don’t come close to the glories of heaven. The earthly sun is replaced with the ever-shining glory of God. The Bible tells us that in heaven there is no pain, no suffering, and bounty beyond what we can imagine. We are thankful for the hope Ryan had in Jesus, and that he is experiencing the most beautiful spring days he’s ever had, in a body completely healed and whole.
May we all be encouraged and inspired by the life Ryan lived.
As Ryan would always say at the close of our weekly marketing meetings, “Let’s go do great things!”
Let’s go do great things.
– The Marketing Team
Memories of Ryan
“Ryan was always so consistent, steadfast, creative, and joyful. From when we were kids to now it didn’t matter what life threw his way, he exuded these qualities which were evident in his faithfulness to our Lord and Savior, his wife, his kids, family, friends, and was evident in his work. One of my favorite work memories is: anytime I would pass him walking through the buildings, he would always make a point to make a silly face at me, usually involving him bugging out his eyes, to encourage me to do the same and bring a smile to both our faces. His joy help brighten many days.” – Lindsey Staff
“Caleb and I always enjoyed calling him “captain” every time he’d come and go in the morning/afternoon!” – CJ Conger
“Ryan was always a blessing to be around. Even in battling cancer, he was always calm and steady. I got to take a Nussbaum trip with him once to NYC. We were the perfect pair, because I talk a lot, and Ryan hardly at all (lol). We got to see Madison Square Garden, Central Park, Trump Tower, Stock Exchange Bull, 9/11 Memorial, Times Square, and go to the very tip top of the Empire State Building (our meeting was there with a group that had special access). He will be very missed, and I don’t think you could find a nicer guy…” – Caleb Gee
“In life, there are people whose presence makes the world better and filled with music. One such person was Ryan Jamison, whose patience was not just a virtue, but a quiet melody that played in the background of all our lives. Ryan was the kind of person who, without fail, knew when we needed the energy of the room to be lifted. In those moments, he would simply turn on the music. It could have also been the 18 (billion) emails that Mark and I would send requesting that it be turned on over in the sales department until the day he finally bought us a tablet so we could control it since he was in a different building. We will miss his humor and patience, but thankful for the moments that we shared with him.” – Angie Green
“My memory of Ryan is that he was so kind and capable with a gentle smile. I will definitely have sadness when I think of him and see his desk. But, he was a great example of one who showed the love of God and for that I am grateful of the impact he had on me and so many others.” – Bill Wettstein
“Ryan was always about helping out with projects, with audio sound bites, clip art, videoing, without protest and in fact, more of a, “Well, let’s see when or how we can do that,” type of attitude/response. Ryan also kept up the internet site for Bibletelling.org (the last I knew anyway). This is a locally-based organization that is involved in spreading the stories of the Bible to various parts of the world. Their programs (that use Bible stories) are used by missionaries, for ESL, for literacy programs, and in prisons.” – Cory Adams
“I had the privilege of working under Ryan for a few years. He was gifted in so many areas but was graced with so much humility one needed time to recognize them. He taught me the gift of thinking before you speak, that it is okay to be silent and look at a person while you think on your response (although it can feel awkward it’s okay). He was caring, compassionate, a creative genius, and a very hard worker. He was someone who lifted you up and believed in your work. I thank God for the privilege to know such a steady and faithful man.” – Saige Anderson
“A specific attribute I remember about Ryan was his ability to inspire confidence in yourself. When I first started at Nussbaum, I had shot photography as a hobby but wasn’t very confident in my skills or my ability to run a camera. The opportunity presented itself for me to take on the role of photographer here, and I remember my feelings of inadequacy and wondering if I could really do it. Ryan said something to the effect of “You said you enjoy taking pictures, right? Congratulations! You are a photographer now.” He didn’t doubt my abilities and just handed me the camera and encouraged me to take the lead. This allowed me to gain confidence in myself and also pushed me to better my skills and everything else that comes with photography. This is just one example of the many ways Ryan quietly encouraged and led his team. Ryan was an inspiration to me in many ways, and I will miss his leadership and steady presence in the marketing department. I am thankful to have known him for the years I’ve been here.” – Jessi Blunier
“I will remember Ryan as a quiet, consistent example and always willing to help me when needed. He will be missed here. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.” – Matt “Zimmy” Zimmerman
“Ryan was always great to go to and get opinions and extra thoughts on hard problems. He had a real knack for that and always made me feel welcome to do so, even though we didn’t work that closely together.” – Tyler Dietrich
“I would say that Ryan always had a calm and accommodating style, he was always pleasant to work with and will be missed greatly.” – Brent Martin
“You can’t get much more of a gentle-spirited guy than Ryan Jamison. He was kind, compassionate, and had such a calm disposition. This was evident in his interactions as a manager with his team, and as a husband and father to his family. We were honored to have Ryan be a part of our Nussbaum family for 10 years and appreciated his leadership and the work environment that he cultivated. May God bless the Jamison family!” – Tianne Overmyer
“I have worked at several companies, but none compared to this one, and nowhere is there another person like Ryan. I have always been a little artsy, and with my working genius of invention and wonder, I love to design things and get immense pleasure and satisfaction from doing so. I loved how Ryan would collaborate with me on creative projects, allowing me to spread my wings while teaching and coaching me to improve my ideas and myself. With his inspiration and support, I have been working on several projects and will be opening my own online store this summer. If I had never met and worked with Ryan, I don’t believe I would have tapped into this creative side of my personality that brings me so much happiness and fulfillment. He gave me confidence in myself and my vision. Ryan was a great friend and was always there for me, whether it was a personal project or a work project. I am so happy that our paths crossed and will forever be grateful for our time spent together. Thank you, Ryan, for sharing your passion and talents with me so I can share them with everyone else. I will miss you, buddy. Fly high, Ryan!” – Justin Worden
“I had the privilege of spending a day with Ryan during the photo shoot for the There Is Hope In Troubled Times trailer. It was my first time interacting with him, and I quickly came to appreciate his keen eye for detail and thoughtful suggestions that elevated the shoot. Beyond his talent, what stood out most was his deep love and passion for both his family and his work. Our conversations that day were meaningful, especially as he shared about his recent cancer diagnosis. Even in the face of such a challenge, Ryan carried a remarkable sense of hope–one that transcended his circumstances. His resilience, faith, and unwavering spirit left an impression on me, and I feel honored to have known him, even for a short time.” – Dustin Huber
“Ryan was always a steady and quiet soul. However, whenever I engaged him one on one, he was always ready to chat. We talked mostly about our mutual love for marketing. We enjoyed strategizing around reach, content and aesthetics. I also learned about his family and their interests. As my kids have grown and started to appreciate different sports, one connection we developed was around his family’s involvement in hockey. I learned how expensive (and rough) that sport can be. He helped me coach my kids to just go ice skating instead 😊. Very fun-loving guy one on one and so thankful to have known him.” – Chris Aranda
“After only a couple of months working in Marketing, Ryan was diagnosed with cancer. I never heard him complain about it. He was a servant leader and loved those in his life. Ryan always ended our marketing meetings by saying, ‘Let’s go do great things.’ He was quick to share what he knew. He really wanted other people to do great things. He never wanted to be in the spotlight. His selflessness is inspiring. I looked up to him in many ways. I felt like there was always something new to learn about him and from him. I am going to miss him.” – Dayton Rumbold
“I was always impressed by Ryan’s consistent good attitude and his genuine desire to help. Even during the really hard times of cancer, he didn’t complain and would focus on how he could help rather than on what he was dealing with.” – Scott Herrmann
“Among his MANY admirable qualities, I think one of the best words to describe him is “steady.” Whatever the problem or conversation that needed to happen, he approached it calmly, patiently, and thoughtfully. Many people have described him as quiet, but when he did speak, he always had something meaningful to say. He was also incredibly fun to be around. Not everyone got to see his humor and goofy side, but they were definitely there! Seeing it was one of the privileges of working in marketing:) I will deeply miss his friendship, mentorship, and the many conversations we would have throughout the workday.” – Kyle Streitmatter
Words of wisdom from Ryan: An Observation of Silence
A video Ryan made for hobby week 2021 – “Here’s a video compilation of some of my hobbies, including cooking, making musics, woodworking, shooting my bow, and camping/hiking.”
