Friends mourn ‘fantastic, wonderful family’ from Georgia killed in plane crash

Ryan and Laura Van Epps were raising their two boys to be respectful and humble, the kind other parents wanted their children to be around and coaches wanted to coach.

The Milton parents were heavily involved in the King’s Ridge Christian School community, along with the youth sports leagues where their boys played.

“They were part of so many communities within the community,” family friend Patrick Fullerton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “They were all loved everywhere they went.”

On Tuesday, the Van Epps family members were being remembered by those still in shock by their sudden deaths. The family of four — Laura, 43; Ryan, 42; James Ryan, 12; and Harrison, 10 — along with Laura’s father, 76-year-old Roger Beggs, were returning home from James Ryan’s baseball tournament Sunday when they were killed in a small plane crash in upstate New York. Beggs was piloting the Piper Malibu Mirage.

After several days at the Cooperstown Dreams Park tournament in New York, the family departed from Albert S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta. The plane was headed to Charleston, West Virginia, for refueling before its ultimate destination of the Cobb County International Airport.

But it crashed in the small town of Masonville, about 50 miles southwest of Cooperstown. There were no survivors.

Details of the crash, which is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, quickly made national headlines.

On Monday, a women’s softball team in New York honored the family, placing their gloves on the field to spell out J.R., in honor of James Ryan.

“Never forget to hold those you cherish close,” the Oneonta Women’s Softball team posted. “They can be gone in an instant.”

Back in Georgia, family and friends in their community struggled to deal with the tragedy. Many closest to the Van Epps family were too stricken with grief to discuss the loss.

The oldest son, J.R., was already an accomplished athlete.

After leading his sixth grade football team to a championship, he hit a grand slam last week at the tournament in Cooperstown. Off the field, he was a solid student and well-mannered young man. He wasn’t one to brag about his accomplishments, according to family friends.

“He was unbelievable on the football field. Fantastic on the baseball field,” Matt Whitmer said. “Just an all-around great kid.”

Harrison was also an athlete and well-liked, according to Stephanie Gammage, head of the lower school at King’s Ridge.

“Harrison loved baseball,” Gammage said. “He was a natural leader with a great sense of humor. He also had a quiet, creative side and thought outside the box. Harrison cared about doing well in school and had a great attitude about working hard to improve his skills. He was well-liked by classmates and was a good friend.”

Fullerton’s wife attended Roswell High School with both Ryan and Laura, who went to separate colleges. Laura attended the University of Georgia, while Ryan attended the University of Tennessee, Fullerton said.

After the couples were married, they both welcomed baby boys into the mix, J.R. and Owen. The two families have been friends for years, and last summer J.R. spent a week at the beach with the Fullertons.

In his final text exchange with Owen, J.R. had shared a picture of the two as toddlers and wrote, “Look at us.”

Credit: Patrick Fullerton/Special to the AJC

Patrick Fullerton said Owen and Liam Whitmer had also played in a tournament in Cooperstown in early June. Over the years, there had been countless carpools to school, along with many trips to ballfields. They had all become close friends, almost like family.

“They just raised kids that were so respectful,” Whitmer said of the Van Epps family. “It’s hard to find the humility in the humbleness they exuded. You don’t see that anymore.”

Credit: Family photo

J.R. would have been in seventh grade and Harrison in fifth grade this fall at King’s Ridge.

“This is a shocking and heartbreaking loss for our community,” the school said in a social media post. “We invite you to join us in prayer for the Van Epps family.”

Last Wednesday, J.R. texted video his parents took of his grand slam to Owen.

“Cool!” Owen replied, according to his mother, Leigh Whitmer.

Liam sent his friend a final text, but never heard back. “At that point he was gone, and we didn’t even know,” Leigh Whitmer said.

She said it’s hard to imagine life without the Van Epps family members.

“I want everyone to know what a fantastic, wonderful family they were,” Whitmer said. “I am just so thankful they were together.”

Funeral arrangements for the family were pending Tuesday.

Credit: Family photo

— Staff writer David Aaro contributed to this article.

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