At 6-foot-2, Broward County, FL, Sheriff's Deputy Michael Ryan was a "gentle giant" who loved his job, his family and colleagues said Sunday.

Nearly 200 police officers, firefighters, paramedics, family, and friends honored Ryan at his funeral at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, reports the Sun-Sentinel.

The soft-spoken Ryan died on Dec. 31, nearly two weeks after he collapsed at the Broward Main Jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The 58-year-old had gone into cardiac arrest, the sheriff's office said at the time, and remained in the hospital but never recovered.

Ryan was born in Fort Lauderdale and was the youngest of five sons. He joined the Sheriff's Office nearly 14 years ago and most recently worked in the Department of Detention.

"He was the co-worker that you wanted to work with," Major Josefa Benjamin, a supervisor in the department, told the crowd. "He was a friend to many and a good man in the eyes of all."

Ryan is survived by his wife Lori; step-sons Dustin, Dalton, and Dillon Edens; his four brothers, their spouses, and five nieces and nephews.