Cory Allan Ryland

Cory Allan Ryland left this world far too soon on April 22, 2026, exactly where he would have wanted to be, stretched out in his favourite spot on the couch, watching sports. Cory was born on June 15, 1977, in Fort McMurray, Alberta, to Marlene Hunt and Barry Ryland.

He was predeceased by his grandparents, Charlie and Eileen Ryland, who he spoke of often and lovingly, sharing stories of the memories they made together. He was also predeceased by his grandparents, John Edward Hunt and Susan Duka, along with numerous aunts and uncles.

Cory grew up between Swan River, Manitoba, and Eston, Saskatchewan, eventually settling in Eston to raise his family. Whether as a kid or an adult, Cory was the kind of person people gravitated toward. He had lifelong friends everywhere he went because he genuinely cared about people. He was the guy who checked in, showed up, helped out, and made sure everyone else was okay, often before thinking about himself.

He was also famously frugal. Cory could somehow turn a grocery trip into a strategic planning session, and nobody escaped one of his lectures on sales or why buying the “good coffee” was somehow still the smarter financial choice. Marlene especially received plenty of grocery-saving advice over the years, whether she asked for it or not.

Sports were one of Cory’s greatest loves. He loved baseball, football, hockey, and recently became an unexpectedly passionate fan of the WNBA thanks to Caitlin Clark. He didn’t just love watching sports, he played and coached them too. In true Cory fashion, he even took up flag football in his 40s because apparently slowing down was never really his thing.

But nothing made Cory prouder than watching his kids play. He could talk for hours about Emmett’s provincial championship hockey banner and absolutely lit up when Ella’s hockey team brought home a banner of their own. He made sure to catch Karley’s final basketball season and proudly stood on the sidelines for every game, every tournament, every cold rink, and every early morning. If you listened closely, you could probably still hear him bragging about them to anyone who would listen.

Cory also had a lifelong love for vehicles. Cars and trucks were more than a hobby to him, they were a passion and a way to connect with the people he loved. Barry took great pride in passing that love on to Cory, and together they could see potential in just about anything with wheels. Cruise nights with the boys were some of Cory’s favourite memories, filled with laughter, teasing, stories, and hours spent admiring vehicles. The Lethbridge Car Show was always a highlight, and Cory looked forward to it every chance he got. Whether he was tinkering in the garage, talking horsepower, or proudly showing off a vehicle, Cory was completely in his element.

And then there was the Camaro. Loud would honestly be an understatement. Cory seemed extremely proud of the fact that you could probably hear him coming three blocks away. The neighbours likely knew exactly when he was  heading to cruise night, or just deciding the car “needed a quick rip.” To this day, we still are not entirely sure how the neighbours truly felt about it, but Cory certainly never seemed concerned. If anything, he probably assumed they appreciated it as much as he did.

He also had a bit of a daredevil streak, especially when it came to dirt biking. There were likely several moments throughout his life where people wondered how he survived some of the things he attempted. Eventually he settled down, at least slightly, and embraced his favourite role of all: being a dad.

One of the family’s most treasured recent memories was spending time together in Kimberley, letting Cory proudly show everyone around the place he loved so much. Retirement there would have been Cory’s dream. It was his happy place, somewhere filled with peace, laughter, and the people he loved most.

Alexa, Ella, and Karley are especially grateful for their memories together in Mexico, where Cory was truly at the top of the world, soaking in a week of pure happiness with his girls. If the girls wanted to do something, especially parasailing, Cory made sure it happened.

Throughout his life, Cory worked hard. Very hard. He held many jobs over the years, often juggling more than one at a time. He worked primarily in oil and gas, but also farmed, cleaned seed, worked on highways, and did whatever needed to be done to provide for the people he loved. His hard work helped him build a life and purchase places that became deeply meaningful to him and his family, especially his beloved Kimberley house, where countless memories were made and laughter always filled the rooms.

Cory loved fishing almost as much as he loved sports, and he was already looking forward to getting out this spring to catch a few fish with Emmett. The two of them had big dreams of landing the next great catch together.

To know Cory was to know someone who was intelligent, caring, generous, patient, goofy, loyal, and incredibly funny. He could make people laugh effortlessly. He could also turn a simple conversation about politics into a four-hour debate, complete with statistics, passionate opinions, and absolutely no intention of letting anyone leave early.

Above all else, Cory loved deeply. He will be eternally missed by the love of his life, Alexa; his pride and joys, Emmett and Ella, as well as their brothers Angus and Wyatt. He was a proud and loving bonus dad to Alyssa, Jameson, and Karley.

Left to carry his memory forward are his mother, Marlene Hunt; his father, Barry Ryland; his siblings Tanya (Marlin), Desmond (Jaclyn), Sara, Adam, and Collette; along with many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends who loved him dearly.

Cory leaves behind a lifetime of stories, laughter, debates, sports talk, fishing plans, cruise nights, garage projects, and unforgettable memories. The world feels a little quieter without him in it, but anyone lucky enough to know him will carry a piece of his humour, kindness, and giant heart forever.

A celebration of Cory’s life will take place at a later date.

Donations in Cory’s memory may be made to:

Eston Active Youth Initiative
c/o Town of Eston
Box 757
Eston, SK S0L 1A0