Funeral services for Ryan J. Blackburn of Arapahoe will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 30, at St. Stephen's Catholic Church. The Rev. Father John Apel will officiate.
Interment will follow at the Arapaho Catholic Cemetery at St. Stephen's.
There will be a rosary at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, at St. Stephen's with a wake to follow at 1537 Elmwood.
Mr. Blackburn died Friday night, July 25, 2008, at the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper at the age of 27.
Ryan Jay Blackburn was born in Riverton on Aug. 30, 1980, the son of Thomas P. Blackburn, Sr., and Marie B. (Sun Rhodes) Gambler
His Indian name was Ceeneeteeyoo' Hono' Nii'eihii, meaning Blue Sky Eagle.
He grew up in California with Colleen and Floyd Addison, moving back to Arapahoe to live with his mother, Marie Gambler, when he was in the ninth grade. He attended his freshman year of high school at Wyoming Indian and was graduated from St. Stephen's High School with the Class of 2000.
Mr. Blackburn worked in landscaping and construction as a laborer.
The family said he was good at sports, starting t-ball and Babe Ruth baseball in Pacifica, Calif., and also played basketball. They said he enjoyed listening to music and spending time with his nieces and nephews.
He was a member of St. Stephen's Catholic Church and the Native American Church.
Survivors include his companion, Dawn Oldman; mother, Marie Gambler of Arapahoe; brothers, Travis Dar, Jerome, Sonny, Dom, Travis and Natalie and family; sisters, Tina, Dionne and Cara; aunts and uncles, Kathy Eaglestaff and families of Eagle Butte, S.D., Liz and Jerry Smith and families of California, Olivia Burton and families of Arizona, Ernest Sun Rhodes, Jr., and families of Arapahoe, Jerome Sun Rhodes and families of Arapahoe, Annette Sun Rhodes and families of Montana, Dominic Sun Rhodes of Arapahoe, Frances Blackburn and families of Arapahoe, Jane Dewey of Arapahoe, Kenneth Blackburn and families of Arapahoe; Freeman Blackburn and families of Arapahoe, Glenda Washakie and families of Arapahoe, Mary Tafayo and families of Arapahoe; God parents, Cindy and Chuck Washakie.
He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Blackburn, Sr.; a brother, Thomas Blackburn, Jr.; adopted parent, Floyd Addison, Jr.; step-father, Darwin Gambler, Sr.; grandparents, Ernest and Ruth Sun Rhodes, Sr., Tommy and LaVern Blackburn, Sr.
On-line obituaries are available and condolences for the family may be made at: thedavisfuneralhome.com
Services are under the direction of the Davis Funeral Home of Riverton.