Seneca Valley honors fallen hero Ryan Gloyer
JACKSON TWP — Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, marked seven years to the day that Ryan Gloyer’s life was cut short while he was serving in Afghanistan. Gloyer, a 2000 graduate of Seneca Valley High School, was just 34. In his brief time on Earth, Ryan Gloyer was known as a top-notch student, a terrific athlete, a Green Beret and an American hero.
“The grief never goes away,” said Gloyer’s father, Dick. “One just learns how to work with it and deal with it. We grieve almost every day, but we’ve learned how to move forward with our lives. But he’s always in the back of our minds.”
Since his untimely death, the Gloyer family and the Seneca Valley School District have kept Ryan’s memory alive, sharing his story with every future class of Raider students. In June 2018, the school district renamed the former Seneca Valley Middle School in Gloyer’s honor.
On Friday, seventh- and eighth-graders gathered in the auditorium of the school for an assembly in Gloyer’s honor. As students filed into the auditorium, they heard Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.”
After the national anthem, one of Gloyer’s friends from middle school, Mary Beth Keally, spoke on behalf of her former classmate. Keally also helped put together the first Ryan Gloyer Memorial Run, which will be held Sunday, Nov. 5.
“The unique thing about him, for me, was Ryan didn't care what clothes people wore. He didn't care what sports people played,” Keally said. “Ryan really cared about his peers being the best version of themselves they could be.”
Ryan’s mother, Renie, encouraged others to follow his example of perseverance.
“Ryan had many character-building experiences, along with many, many disappointments, heartaches and doubts,” Renie said. “Ryan didn’t become a Green Beret on his first try, or even his second. But he kept working mentally and physically, over and over, until on his third try, he earned his Green Beret.”
A fellow Green Beret spoke in glowing terms about Ryan’s ability to inspire everyone around him to be the best person, student, athlete or soldier they can be.
“His life is a testament to the idea that persistence conquers all obstacles,” said the Green Beret. “In the most trying of circumstances, Ryan remained dedicated to his mission and dedicated to us, his teammates.”
Ryan’s brother, Justin, emphasized that if they worked hard enough, any of the students in the auditorium could embody the qualities that made Ryan special.
“While many of his characteristics, such as his charm, sense of humor and athleticism, may seem like genetics, Ryan’s drive, motivation and dedication to mastering his skills can be achieved by anyone if they're willing to put in the work,” Justin said.
Toward the end of the presentation, Ryan’s father Dick showed a 20-minute video reel comprised of pictures and video clips of Ryan and his family throughout his life, including his tour of duty in the Middle East. Accompanying the video was a set of songs that were said to have significance to Ryan’s journey, closing with “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban.
Gloyer’s family also made sure to thank the four Seneca Valley students who kick-started the campaign to rename the middle school in honor of Ryan — Ryan Burglund, Nate Konieczka, Jessica Pollaci, and Jenna Pollaci.
The assembly closed with Dick urging the students to sing along to the Journey song “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
