Ryan Bek, who as a Guilford student so perfectly embodied the principles of community and service upon which this college was founded, died Fri., Feb. 15, in a devastating Greensboro fire that killed four people. He was 25.He had been working full time on computers for Greensboro College.

The three others killed in the fire at Campus Walk Apartments near UNCG were Donna Llewellyn, 24, Ryan’s girlfriend; Rachel Llewellyn, 23; and Beth Harris, 20, a roommate.

The Guilford connection does not stop at Ryan: Donna and Rachel Llewellyn are the daughters of Carolyn Llewellyn, a 1997 CCE alumnus.

A 21-year-old woman is being held on charges of arson and four counts of murder.

Ryan attended Guilford from the fall of 1996 to the spring of 1999, but never earned his degree. However, his presence on campus was always apparent: he was well known and liked among students for his jovial countenance (he was always smiling), love of vegetarian cooking (he cooked often for all his friends), and technophilia (he worked avidly for IT&S).

He was proud of being one of the few, if not only, male women’s studies majors. He worked at one point for the National Organization for Women and for Planned Parenthood. At Guilford, he also majored in psychology.

Ryan actively served in Community Senate, volunteered as a Chaos leader, and helped organize Serendipity.

A bystander would have taken Ryan for a Quaker. He had a deep respect for Quaker ideals, which was evident in the unwitting care and helping hand he lent anyone, anywhere.

He had a penchant for old-fashioned phrases like “peachy” and “right on” and a mysterious love of Canada.

Ryan lived in Michigan, Texas, and Charlotte, before his family settled in Greensboro in 1995, where he lived since.

He enrolled in the culinary arts program at Central Piedmont Community College, where he earned an associate’s degree. Afterward, he began classes at Guilford.

At a memorial service held on Wednesday afternoon in Dana Auditorium, students, faculty, staff, co-workers, community members, and family, remembered Ryan’s life with reflections and quiet prayer.

Those who chose to speak described him as patient, cheerful, spiritual and full of integrity. They remembered him as always smiling, with a passion for human contact.

Marshall Lammers, a close friend, epitomized Bek’s personality in saying, “I think he would be surprised by how many people are here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew every one of you by name.”

The following is a poem Ryan’s family composed when they learned of his death:

Helping others

Smiling, even in the morning

Full of sunshine

Never having a bad thing to say about anything

Enjoying apples, fine cooking, blueberry pancakes and anything loaded with garlic

Sweeping away bees in a “panic dance”

Willing to take care of your problems (computer or otherwise)

Hiking with a too-full backpack

Always looking to catch a great photo

Excited about life and all its great possibilities

Proud to be free and independent

Generous

Caring

Ryan