Ryan McNeil Proffit

Ryan McNeil Proffit, November 19, 1975–December 17, 2025 was the real deal; the kind of good man that gave you faith in humanity, and makes you sad for the world without him in it. Which is why we're all heartbroken that cancer’s taken him from us.

We wanted more time to learn from him; to see what his next adventures would be; to enjoy his good nature and his wit; to be compassionately hurt and healed by his physical therapy skills; and to even be teased by him (joking and sarcasm were his love languages.) His pranks will be missed, because therein was his genius, and those are the memories we love to remember and tell each other again and again.

He’d hate to be in the spotlight and have us draw so much attention to him and his achievements and accolades, but he’s not here to change the subject or deflect, so here’s the story:

He was born to Pat and Larry Proffit in Tokyo, Japan, the 8th of 10 kids, but they moved to the ranch south of Evanston Wyoming when he was 3. Though he was a lovey, lazy, comfy big baby, once he started exploring the ranch, it was all running, imagining, and playing hard with cousins and friends. The little place on the Bear River became an amazing backdrop for early life: imagining, learning to be a cowboy, participating in 4-H, learning to be a little bit tough, and for the establishment of deeply-rooted relationships with grandparents, uncles and aunts and with cousins, the “other Proffits,” the Richins and the Baldwins.

In the 8th grade, he moved with his family to Simi Valley, California, which was a huge change and really hard on a kid that age, but it was a lesson and expression of family dedication and loyalty, and with this early glimpse of his incredible resilience and adaptability he was able to thrive in that setting as well, making important and lasting friends there: John Strongo, Anthony and Nick Piscatello, Justin Hambly.

He participated and experienced a lot of success scholastically, and in sports: football and wrestling, where he honed his dedication, work ethic and self-discipline by earning league champion at 165lbs., as well as the respect of his teammates and coaches. After graduating from Simi Valley High School and from seminary in 1994, he worked a year in construction to save money for his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints mission, and in 1995, left for the the Taiwan, Taichung mission, where he successfully served 2 years, learned to speak Mandarin Chinese, (in which he was able to maintain a level of proficiency,) to navigate and love food and a country very different from his own.

He enrolled in the University of Utah upon returning home from Taiwan, vowing to complete his degree before considering getting married. However, in November of that same year, he met a certain Jessica Sue Anderson, a “smart, cute girl” as he described her to his parents, on a dae set up by Chad Wray, and his plan was happily thwarted. Jessica and Ryan were married in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on June 19th, 1999.

They resided in Orem, Utah while Ryan supported Jessica in obtaining her Masters degree in social work. They moved to Holladay, Utah where their first child, Luke Ryan Proffit was born August 31st, 2001.

After a couple of years they moved to Southern California, and lived with Ryan’s parents while he enrolled and was accepted to Chapman University. He studied to be a athletic trainer and eventually a physical therapist. Jack McNeil Proffit was born July 15, 2003. Shortly after Jack was born, their little family moved out on their own to Huntington Beach and then to Garden Grove in Southern California. Sayde Grace, was born June 29th, 2006 in Garden Grove, and Kael Jesse was born in Garden Grove on January 22nd 2009. Ryan earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Chapman University while they lived in Garden Grove. He worked in Seal Beach for about 3 years making amazing friends and loved his coworkers there!

Ryan and Jessica moved to Texas in 2013, where Ryan continued his practice as a physical therapist.

He soon joined the U.S. Air Force and was commissioned as Captain in 2013. This started a chain of events that brought him to several duty stations spanning a career of 13 years. They were first stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, where their “caboose” child, as Ryan called Malakai Kristian Proffit, was born 9 years after Kael.

They met wonderful friends in Vegas as Ryan served the Special Operations command with the AirForce PJs.

They PCSed to Whiteman AFB and moved the family to Warrensburg, Missouri, where they again created a home and community, and where he was promoted to a Major.

In 2022 he was PCSed to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and the family learned to love a new place and new people, people who have become great friends and who have stood by and supported him heroically during his battle with cancer.

His military awards include:

• The inaugural “Major Ryan M. Proffit Special Operations Physical Therapist Award”

• Meritorious Service Medal 3x

• Air and Space Commendation Medal

• Joint Meritorious Unit Award

• Meritorious Unit Award

• Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award 2x

• National Defense Service Medal

• Humanitarian Service Ribbon

• Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal

• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

• Air Force Longevity Service Award 2x

• Air and Space Training Ribbon

In 2023, Ryan was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic lung cancer and was medically retired from the Air Force in March of 2025. His promotion to Lieutenant Colonel was presented the same day.

He gracefully and courageously fought the good fight, but finally succumbed as he passed away in his home, surrounded by his family on December 17th, 2025.

He is preceded in death by his oldest brother Nathan Hight Proffit; grandparents Hight and Dorothy Proffit and Hazel Gates and Henry Mangus; Aunt Claudia and Uncle Don Proffit; Uncle Doyle “Tease” Mangus; and Sister-in-law Kirsten Proffit. He is survived by his wife, Jessica, his children, Luka, Jack, Sayde, Kael, and Malakai. His mother and father Larry and Patricia Proffit, his mother-in-law, Kristine Anderson; siblings Lisa Proffit-Rau (Ken), Lance (Kimberly) Proffit, Robert (Peggy) Proffit, Spencer (Jessica Wesch) Proffit, Steven (Ronnie) Proffit, Michelle (Bill) Ennis, Marsha (Federico) Leguizamon, and Joshua (Jennifer) Proffit; and numerous cousins, friends, nieces and nephews who each believe they are his favorite.

His getting sick and knowing what he was facing was possibly as hard for him as the disease itself, because of it making him unable to continue to be dedicated to duty and family, unable to push through. He was our “strong guy,” taking charge, boldly diving in to serve. Accepting service himself, facing these changes and challenges with dignity was another situation handed to him by life that where he modeled adapting with grace.