R.I.P. Ryland Sanders

I never met Ryland Sanders in person, just online. Still, I feel that his passing should be noted because a) he often made me laugh, and b) he often made the internet laugh with his site, Says-It, and the many sign/sticker/seal generators he created for that site, including the ever-popular Church Sign Generator.

He had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for some time, and as a result died this weekend – twice. Once in the ambulance, and after being revived, for the second and final time in hospice. True to Ryland form, his last words were written in a note to his family: “WTF?” He was the same age as me: 43.

In his honour, here’s a “Church Sign War” purportedly between a Catholic church and a Presbyterian one. It was created with his Church Sign Generator, got forwarded like mad in a zillion emails and caused such controversy that Snopes had to step in and debunk it:

Requiescat in pace, Ryland.

This article also appears in Global Nerdy.