John N. Ryan Sr.'s Obituary
John Norwood Ryan, Sr, 83, of Bridgeville, DE passed away peacefully at home on December 16th surrounded by his loving family. He will be remembered by all who knew him as a fiercely loyal friend who led by example and love. John’s infectious sense of humor and fun-loving spirit will be most missed by all lucky enough to have known him. Born in Washington, DC on March 12, 1941, he was the son of the late J Neil and Rose Norwood Ryan. His life's proudest role was as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather.
In 1962, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Anne (Joyce) Ryan, who served as his tireless and dedicated caregiver throughout his long and difficult illness. John was the beloved father of their four children: Tammy Marie Rollins (Mike) of Waxhaw, NC, John “Jay” Ryan (Christine) of Bethesda, MD, Kenneth Ryan of Edgewater, MD, and Sean Patrick Ryan (Kimberly) also of Edgewater, MD.
John was the adored “Pop Pop” to his nine grandchildren. Christine (Justin) Keziah, Ryan Klotz, Dylan (Amanda) Klotz, Tyler Ryan (Annie Neuens), Shane Ryan, Ashley Ryan, John “Jack” Ryan, Matthew Ryan, Emily Ryan, and David (Olga) Rollins. He was cherished by his nine great grandchildren, who brought immense joy to his life: Aidan, Adalynn, Tyler “TJ”, Josie, Kendall John, Alek, Grayson, Nora, and Hayes. John is also survived by his brother Thomas, (Maryellen) Ryan, and his sister Rosemary (Stephen) Sachs, his brothers-in-law Chad Joyce, Tim Joyce, and Steven (Laura) Joyce and many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his best friend Bill Davis. He is predeceased by his sister-in-law Marion Joyce. John was a dedicated and highly decorated civil servant for the United States Government and served for 40 years in the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), retiring in 2001.
For six years following his retirement, John worked for Enterprise Car Rental along with his son Sean.
He graduated from Archbishop John Carroll High School in 1959. At 16, he met his future wife who was two years his junior and began what would become a 67-year love story for the ages.
An avid sports fan, he played baseball, basketball, golf, and football and coached many of these sports later in life for countless young athletes. While attending the University of Maryland, he worked for the Federal Power Commission and coached its girls’ basketball team. In his most cherished role as a father, John coached his children's teams and was the President of the Kettering Boys and Girls Club. There he received an award for 15 years of service as a mentor, coach, and teacher to the hundreds of the youth served by the club.
Throughout his service, he wore many hats, but it was the interaction with the children he impacted that he most revered. John played street hockey in a league with his sons and a number of their childhood friends for many years.
At the age of 60, John was still playing and was honored with a profile that appeared in The Washington Post. For most of his life, John resided in Maryland and was a parishioner of Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchellville for 22 years, where he served as a Eucharistic Minister for nearly 15 years and played on its men’s softball league. John also played golf for the church league and through the years played in numerous charitable golf tournaments.
Later John and Mary Anne moved to Crofton and then Odenton and attended Our Lady of the Fields, where he served again as a Eucharistic Minister for 22 years before moving to Delaware in 2018.
John took seriously his love for his country, valued its democracy, and exercised his civic duty along with his wife as Poll Watchers for numerous election cycles.
A Celebration of Life in honor of John will be scheduled at a later date.
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