Our Mission
"It is not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years." ~Abe Lincoln
.The Ryan Kiess Memorial Fund was established to remember Ryan (who was killed in a tragic car accident) and assist others by providing scholarships to Manhasset High School and the University of Scranton; providing financial assistance to Manhasset, Scranton and local community-based needs; and supporting the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, along with other organizations. We know Ryan would be proud of these efforts.
Ryan was an includer. He loved bringing different friend groups and people together. He always believed in the underdog. After all, he was a Mets, Jets and Islanders fan.
In Ryan's 25 years, he met the love of his life, played D3 college lacrosse, was the captain and won the New York State high school hockey championship, graduated college and his masters program from Scranton, travelled Morocco for a month, was promoted at KPMG, and made many amazing friends along the way.
Since Ryan's passing, our family has advocated to make the roads in Quogue safer. We have also fought in Albany to pass the Grieving Family Act (currently pending). We continue to fight in Ryan's memory.
The Ryan Kiess Memorial Fund gives back to the Manhasset and Scranton community, which were incredibly important and influential in Ryan's life. Please see our Benefactor page for a full list for our community outreach.
Remember Me by Marget Mead
To the living, I am gone,
To the sorrowful, I will never return,
To the angry, I was cheated,
But to the happy, I am at peace,
And to the faithful, I have never left.
I cannot speak, but I can listen.
I cannot be seen, but I can be heard.
So as you stand upon a shore gazing at a beautiful sea,
As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity,
Remember me.
Remember me in your heart:
Your thoughts, and your memories,
Of the times we loved,
The times we cried,
The times we fought,
The times we laughed.
For if you always think of me, I will never have gone.
