Seventeen-year-old Rohan Rhys, who died after drowning in South Watuppa Pond, is being remembered by his family as an intelligent, kind-hearted young man with a passion for building, the outdoors, and dreams of a bright future.
In a heartfelt message shared with family, friends, and the community, Rohan’s mother said she wanted people to know the person behind the headlines.”That’s not how he would want to be remembered—as just a headline in a news article. That’s not who he was,” she wrote.
Born Tristan James Major on June 13, 2009, Rohan had recently begun the legal process of changing his name as part of a new chapter for his family after overcoming years of hardship. Proudly choosing the name Rohan Rhys, he embraced the opportunity for a fresh start and looked forward to building new family traditions.
According to his family, Rohan was a bright and unique young man with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and high-functioning autism. He was known for his remarkable intelligence, teaching himself to read at an early age and developing a lifelong love of creating and building. Whether constructing birdhouses with his stepfather or designing complex robots, he found joy in working with his hands.
He was preparing to begin the YouthBuild construction program next month and had recently become excited about the possibility of attending college—an important milestone after struggling in a traditional school environment.
Outside of construction, Rohan enjoyed hiking, exploring nature, reading, playing video games, playing guitar, and teaching himself Japanese, including how to write kanji.
His family said he loved them deeply and cherished the time he spent with his girlfriend, who brought him great happiness.
Rohan had also been making plans with his family for the future. Together, they hoped to build a life on a therapeutic horse ranch, where he dreamed of maintaining the property and growing his own vegetable garden.
His sudden death has left an immeasurable void.
“We’re trapped in this nightmare, trying to figure out how we are supposed to wake up every morning and find a way to live in a world without him,” his mother wrote. “The silence he leaves behind is deafening.”
The family is now asking for the community’s support to help cover funeral and memorial expenses as they navigate the devastating loss. Here is a link to their go fund me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-rohan-tristan-keeping-his-dream-aliv
They hope that, above all, Rohan will be remembered not for the tragedy of his death, but for the life he lived—his curiosity, his compassion, his determination, and the dreams he was only beginning to pursue.
