Ryan’s Steps
Composed of colorful small tiles, five large, mosaic step images stretch Ryan’s radiant smile into a lasting memory. Set beside a walking path adjacent to an expansive activity field in the Val Vista Community Park at 7350 Johnson Drive, shouts can be heard from nearby Field 3. Soccer players bark commands in a practice game. Ryan Gordon was a Ballistic Soccer player and a forward on Foothill High School’s (FHS) varsity team. A mosaic step shows a soccer ball, with a cleat bearing an FHS sock. Ryan would not be denied a goal. His enthusiasm was contagious and undeniably magnetic.
The steps guide the viewer to discover the life of Ryan and his embrace of possibilities. Ryan’s early moments were decorated with a push scooter and a bike. Not seen is his love for skateboarding, hiking, and snowboarding. Each of these two steps invites the viewer to travel with Ryan to discover the young adventures only neighborhood kids can devise. The vitreous glass and tile steps are figurative art, expressing those little moments when the warmth of childhood friendships and adventure rules the day. Each step says, “Come with me! It will be fun!
A stingray swims in blue waters, but not in the ocean. This step tells of Ryan’s devotion to swimming. He spent 13 years and countless hours training with the highly competitive Del Prado Stingrays Swim Team. His infectious laughter could be heard rising above the early morning swim workouts. Ryan enjoyed each day to the fullest!
The fifth tile stone is a large smiling sun. Playful and warm the sun invited Ryan outdoors to celebrate his many sports and friends. Even when clouds hid the sun, he knew it was still shining, bringing a bright promise of joy to each new day.
The steps were born from the remnants of an earlier dismantled tile mosaic artwork. Ryan’s Bench was replaced with a steel mesh bench in 2024. Dmitry Grudski, an Oakland mosaic artist, created the original bench. Educated in Russia, Dmitry’s training exposed him to classical European art traditions, blending ancient Byzantine mosaic techniques with stained glass, mural painting, and artful storytelling. A conservator from Preservation Arts, working with Curt Gordon, salvaged tiles to create the steps.
Parents Curt and Valarie Gordon donated Ryan’s Bench and later Ryan’s Steps to the City in honor of the youth of Pleasanton. They also established The Ryan Gordon Memorial Soccer Scholarship for a deserving graduating senior on the Foothill HS boys’ or girls’ soccer teams. An annual alumni game and ongoing community efforts fund the $1,000 scholarship. Chosen applicants demonstrate sportsmanship, leadership, and dedication to the sport while exemplifying the character and enthusiasm that Ryan Gordon brought to the sport and his team.
Ryan passed away in a jet-skiing accident the summer after graduating from Foothill High School. Each mosaic step invites us to enthusiastically remember the moments of a young man who lived his life in joy. His infectious smile beckons us all -find the FUN in every day!
Jan Coleman-Knight