School nurse Paula Hatcher says Ryan Walker’s strength of character was unmatched.

“He was absolutely the bravest person I ever met,” said Hatcher, a nurse at Free State High School. “He knew that every day was a gift and he made the most of every day.”

Walker, a 17-year-old senior at Free State, died Monday at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.

A prayer service for Walker is scheduled for 7 tonight at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial is at 2 p.m. Friday at Corpus Christi Catholic Church.

Hatcher said she was impressed Walker didn’t allow his reliance on a wheelchair or an oxygen canister to inhibit his desire to participate in music and theater.

He was in Free State’s marching band, jazz ensemble and concert band. He was active in theater while a student at West Junior High School.

The teenager also enjoyed cooking and planned to attend a chef apprenticeship school for culinary arts at Johnson County Community College after graduating from Free State in May.

Sally Burger, a paraprofessional at Lawrence High School, said Walker was friends with her son. Both boys were in theater programs at West, Burger said.

“I saw and watched him from afar, and he was an amazing kid,” Burger said. “He was a remarkable young man who put a whole lot of living into the short time he had.”

Hatcher said there were days when Walker’s medical condition left him feeling so bad that she was surprised he stayed in school. But Walker was committed to staying in school with his friends and to participating in activities he enjoyed, she said.

“He just kept going,” Hatcher said. “I found that inspirational.”