Paul Ryan Baldonado was born on Feb. 6, 1967, to Tranquilino P. “Paul” Baldonado and Marilyn A. Baldonado (Haarberg) in McCook, Nebraska. He died on Nov. 24, 2025, in Newport Beach, California, after a sudden illness and a brief hospital stay. Ryan was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.