The KOAA News5 family is heartbroken to share the news of Ryan Hazelwood’s passing. Ryan Hazelwood was the News Director at KOAA News5 from 2017 to 2024, but he was so much more than that.
Ryan Hazelwood was a loving man of faith. He was a husband, a father, a son, a brother, and a friend to so many. He loved his wife. He loved his daughter. He loved his son. He loved his mother. He loved his father. He loved animals and nature. He loved. That's what anyone who knew Ryan would say. He loved.
He was the man that would shovel your driveway without you needing to ask. He was the man that would change your flat tire. He was the man that would teach you how to drive in the snow. He was that man while never asking for anything in return.
He loved helping and teaching people. And after loving them, those are the things he did best. He was patient, but firm. He knew when to let up, and when to lean in. People loved him for it. The only things that seemingly didn't love him back were his sports teams. Although you can make an argument the St. Louis Cardinals loved him dearly, I never saw the Sooners or Raiders reciprocate a tenth of the love he had for them.
He loved his homes in Amarillo, Texas, and southern Colorado. He loved and built community where he lived, and that love is what made him an incredible journalist. He challenged those in power who needed to be checked. He worked on behalf of the people who might otherwise never have been heard. He fought for what was right.
Ryan held many titles over his career. He was a Photographer, a Professor, a News Director, and more. He began his career in Journalism in 1997 at KFDA in Amarillo, Texas. Ryan’s career in television news took him from KVII to KVUE and ultimately to KOAA News5. He also worked at a production company, and was a Broadcast Engineer and Instructor at West Texas A&M University. He was inducted into the West Texas A&M University Communication Hall of Fame in 2025. No matter where he was, or whatever industry he was in, he touched the lives of those blessed enough to be around him.
Ryan is survived by his wife Larissa, daughter Alexis, son Gannon, mother Kathy, brother Caleb, and son in law Dylan.
