NEWS
Xavier O’Ryan, 43, a third-year graduate student working on his Master of Fine Arts in film and television producing, died at UCI Medical Center at 6:21 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, according to Larry Esslinger, supervising deputy coroner.
The cause of death is pending and the investigation by the Orange County Coroner’s Office will not be completed for several more weeks, said Esslinger.
“O’Ryan was shaky and not acting normally and saying things that didn't make sense,” said Anaheim police Public Information Officer Rick Martinez.
Anaheim police responded to a 911 call at 3 p.m. from a maintenance worker at the Caribbean Cove Apartments on the 2100 block on South Mallul Drive in Anaheim. Officers found O’Ryan lying on the floor of his apartment doorway unconscious but breathing, according to Sergeant Martinez. Paramedics were called and transported him to UCI Medical Center, said Martinez.
O’Ryan withdrew from Chapman in February 2008 in order to be with his family after his father died of a heart condition, according Eric Player, a close friend of O’Ryan.
O’Ryan’s father helped pay for his tuition and O’Ryan struggled to simultaneously keep his job at Auto One Warranty in Irvine and attend Chapman, according to O’Ryan’s fiancé of four years, Theresa Williamson. O’Ryan returned to Chapman in February this year to finish his last semester in the graduate program.
“He took his father’s death quite hard and since then his health declined physically and mentally,” said Player.
O’Ryan was born in Eritrea, a country in North East Africa, in 1968 to his father, who was stationed the U.S. Army, and Asklau, a native Eritrean, according to his sister. After his father’s service was over, O’Ryan moved to the U.S. with his family in 1972 at age four, she said.
He lived in Madison and Milwaukee, Wis., until he moved to Anaheim to attend Chapman’s graduate program in the fall of 2006, according to O’Ryan’s sister. He came to California to follow his dream of being in the film industry. Growing up, O’Ryan had always been interested in film and was also in plays, she said.
“He always felt that [film] was what he was meant to do,” said Zowdi O’Ryan.
While producing films for his classes, O’Ryan would completely dedicate himself and would encourage those around him to do the same, said Player. O’Ryan would also regularly pay for lunch for the cast and crew of the film he was working on, even when the budget did not allow for it, said Player.
“He worked hard to make sure what was seen on the screen was the best that the creative people around him could produce,” said Player.
Alexandra Rose, professor of film and media arts, was O’Ryan’s faculty adviser for his first two semesters at Chapman.
“Xavier was very dedicated to theater and the arts. … He was very interested in creating projects that had a message that resonated with him,” said Rose.
O’Ryan was particularly interested in representing the voice of underprivileged and oppressed people of his background, she said.
Chris Manigault, a friend of O’Ryan, met him during the orientation for the graduate program and learned of O’Ryan’s talent for screenwriting and telling stories, he said.
“There is a huge hole in the world without him,” he said.
A memorial service for O’Ryan was planned to take place in the Folino Theater on Friday, but the film school postponed it because a representative from the chapel was unavailable to attend and the film school wanted more time to let the Chapman community know, said Tina Graves, assistant to Bob Bassett, dean of Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
A service will be held in the Wallace All Faiths Chapel on Thursday, May 7 at 3 p.m.
While it may seem unusual for Chapman to have coped with the deaths of three students this year, the university is prepared to handle these unexpected situations, according to Jerry Price, dean of students.
“It’s an unfortunate reality that a student death happens more years than not,” said Price.
In the wake of his own father’s passing, O’Ryan always put on a good face for his family to fill the roles he believed they needed from him, said Williamson.
“Everybody was so stunned, but he took control and got things done,” she said.
- Reporting contributed by Valerie Gordon
Contact this reporter: daniel.langhorne@thepantheronline.com
The cause of death is pending and the investigation by the Orange County Coroner’s Office will not be completed for several more weeks, said Esslinger.
“O’Ryan was shaky and not acting normally and saying things that didn't make sense,” said Anaheim police Public Information Officer Rick Martinez.
Anaheim police responded to a 911 call at 3 p.m. from a maintenance worker at the Caribbean Cove Apartments on the 2100 block on South Mallul Drive in Anaheim. Officers found O’Ryan lying on the floor of his apartment doorway unconscious but breathing, according to Sergeant Martinez. Paramedics were called and transported him to UCI Medical Center, said Martinez.
O’Ryan withdrew from Chapman in February 2008 in order to be with his family after his father died of a heart condition, according Eric Player, a close friend of O’Ryan.
O’Ryan’s father helped pay for his tuition and O’Ryan struggled to simultaneously keep his job at Auto One Warranty in Irvine and attend Chapman, according to O’Ryan’s fiancé of four years, Theresa Williamson. O’Ryan returned to Chapman in February this year to finish his last semester in the graduate program.
“He took his father’s death quite hard and since then his health declined physically and mentally,” said Player.
O’Ryan was born in Eritrea, a country in North East Africa, in 1968 to his father, who was stationed the U.S. Army, and Asklau, a native Eritrean, according to his sister. After his father’s service was over, O’Ryan moved to the U.S. with his family in 1972 at age four, she said.
He lived in Madison and Milwaukee, Wis., until he moved to Anaheim to attend Chapman’s graduate program in the fall of 2006, according to O’Ryan’s sister. He came to California to follow his dream of being in the film industry. Growing up, O’Ryan had always been interested in film and was also in plays, she said.
“He always felt that [film] was what he was meant to do,” said Zowdi O’Ryan.
While producing films for his classes, O’Ryan would completely dedicate himself and would encourage those around him to do the same, said Player. O’Ryan would also regularly pay for lunch for the cast and crew of the film he was working on, even when the budget did not allow for it, said Player.
“He worked hard to make sure what was seen on the screen was the best that the creative people around him could produce,” said Player.
Alexandra Rose, professor of film and media arts, was O’Ryan’s faculty adviser for his first two semesters at Chapman.
“Xavier was very dedicated to theater and the arts. … He was very interested in creating projects that had a message that resonated with him,” said Rose.
O’Ryan was particularly interested in representing the voice of underprivileged and oppressed people of his background, she said.
Chris Manigault, a friend of O’Ryan, met him during the orientation for the graduate program and learned of O’Ryan’s talent for screenwriting and telling stories, he said.
“There is a huge hole in the world without him,” he said.
A memorial service for O’Ryan was planned to take place in the Folino Theater on Friday, but the film school postponed it because a representative from the chapel was unavailable to attend and the film school wanted more time to let the Chapman community know, said Tina Graves, assistant to Bob Bassett, dean of Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
A service will be held in the Wallace All Faiths Chapel on Thursday, May 7 at 3 p.m.
While it may seem unusual for Chapman to have coped with the deaths of three students this year, the university is prepared to handle these unexpected situations, according to Jerry Price, dean of students.
“It’s an unfortunate reality that a student death happens more years than not,” said Price.
In the wake of his own father’s passing, O’Ryan always put on a good face for his family to fill the roles he believed they needed from him, said Williamson.
“Everybody was so stunned, but he took control and got things done,” she said.
- Reporting contributed by Valerie Gordon
Contact this reporter: daniel.langhorne@thepantheronline.com
