Kristy Kay Ryan Ahlstrom

Kristy Kay Ryan Ahlstrom


Our adventure with our beloved, belly-laughing, kind-hearted Kristy Kay Ryan Ahlstrom ended unexpectedly Wednesday, Sept. 30, leaving the world a little colder and less colorful.
Kristy was the first-born of Arlene and Kay Ryan’s five children. She came into this world on Dec. 16, 1965, a joyful girl who grew into a beautiful, curious, affectionate, strong-willed, profoundly spiritual woman. She was the consummate older sister - bossy but fiercely protective, willing to teach or tease with equal zest, and intensely loyal and loving to both her siblings and her cousins.
The family bought a house in West Jordan on what would become known to everyone as “The Lane”, and she was one of the ring leaders amongst the children being raised in the close-knit community. Kristy was a talented athlete, and she was proud to represent her beloved Bingham High (Class of ‘84) on the basketball and volleyball courts, as well as a skilled diver.
Throughout her life, she’s found success in everything from bowling to softball, often competing on teams with her mom, who was her life-long best friend and confidant.
Some of her favorite sports memories were those she made playing beach or grass volleyball, where she reveled in beating players much younger, and playing on basketball and softball teams with her mom. She was equally comfortable on the back of a horse or astride a motorcycle.
As she aged, she took her competitive passion to board and card games. She just loved to play - anything - and no one has ever competed with more joy (or jokes) than our Kristy.
At 21, Kristy gave up all of the worldly possessions she’d accumulated by faithfully working a job from the moment she was able, so she could serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served the people of Edinburgh, Scotland from December of 1986 until June of 1987 with such devotion and love that her time in the mission field became a permanent, critical piece of her identity. She was, even in her struggles, a missionary for the faith that became her lifeline when she suffered loss and pain.
A successful entrepreneur, she has run multiple businesses, oftentimes while working other full-time jobs. She graduated from the University of Phoenix in 2006, after which she started her own accounting business. She was never too busy to help friends or family, and she could always be found at the center of family gatherings and parties. She loved crocheting and knitting, and like her mother, was talented at arranging flowers.
Central to Kristy’s identity was her fierce devotion to her family. There was no one she loved more than her two children - Ashley and Bubba - but she also dearly loved her step-children and a few ‘adopted’ sons and daughters. In Bubba’s words, "Mom simply loved taking care of people and loving them like family, and they knew that; it was more than blood for her. It was just who she was."
Kristy found herself in some unconventional situations, but she opened her heart - and her home - to whomever needed shelter from a storm. She was the favorite aunt and second mom to so many.
Divorce left her doubting her worth, but Kristy eventually found her white knight in Daren Ahlstrom. They were married on June 16, 2017, and she loved his gentle, generous spirit and his creative, unique mind.
Kristy is survived by her husband, Daren; her daughter, Ashley (Alex) Nelson; her son Bubba (Alyssa) Godinet; step-children Lydia and Heber Ahlstrom; siblings Julie (Joe) Jenson; Robert (Renate) Ryan; Bill (Dede) Ryan; Becky (Matt) Hansen; her life-long best friends Kim and Lec Holmes, and dozens of heart-broken nieces and nephews and devastated cousins, aunts and uncles.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Chuck and Daphine Curtis and Maryan and Lowell Ryan.
Kristy wanted those she loved to celebrate her life with a party, complete with silly games, good food and lots of funny stories. Please come join us at Allred Park, 439 Allred Park Road, Lehi, from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. A graveside service will be held Wednesday, Oct. 7th at 11:00 in the Heber City Cemetery, where she will be buried near her grandparents, whom she loved so dearly.
Friends and family may visit the online guestbook and share a memory of Kristy at www.probstfamilyfunerals.com .