Edward Ryan

Odessa Edward Vincent Ryan, 79, of Odessa, passed away on January 9, 2008, at Hospice House in Odessa. BRBREd was born October 6, 1928, in New London, Connecticut, to Ruth and Vincent Ryan. Ed attended schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and graduated from Nutley High School in Nutley, New Jersey. Ed graduated in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in Commerce from The Citadel, an officer preparatory college in Charleston, South Carolina. Ed entered the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant in November 1950. He was stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas and in Japan, where he served his country during the Korean War. BRBRAfter discharge from the Army, Ed returned to El Paso, Texas, where he was employed as an accountant for El Paso Natural Gas Company and its subsidiary, El Paso Products Company. He transferred to Odessa in 1964 as Accounting Department Manager and Assistant Treasurer. Later, Ed helped organize Odessa Natural Corporation as a subsidiary of El Paso Products, where he also served as Treasurer. BRBREd met Johnnye Joiner in Odessa, and they married on February 17, 1967. They enjoyed many wonderful years together, and recently celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary. BRBRIn 1974, Ed left the El Paso Companies and moved to Amarillo, Texas as Financial Vice President of Center Plains Industries. He helped create Lyric Energy and Falcon Oil and Gas Company. Ed assisted in taking Falcon public and placing Falcon on NASDAQ in 1976. In 1978, he moved Falcon's headquarters to Odessa, with offices also in Denver and Houston. Ed served as PresidentCEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors until he retired in 1992. He continued as a consultant for Falcon for some time after retirement, and he served as a mentor for several developing companies. BRBRAfter retirement, Ed returned to his favorite pastimes, playing golf at the Odessa Country Club and playing Duplicate Bridge. With his keen memory and analytical mind, he frequently placed in first and second place, both in his playing level group, as well as the level above. Ed made many friends who also loved the game, and his friends admired him for his playing ability and unfailing courtesy to other players. BRBRKnown for his generosity and kindness, Ed's community involvement included serving on various boards and volunteering for several non-profits and charities. One of his favorite efforts included his work for the Odessa Humane Society. Ed was known for rescuing numerous animals he might see on the streets. No matter what he was doing, he would stop his car, coax the helpless animal into his car, and then take them to a vet for medical care or to the Humane Society. He and his wife Johnnye adopted many strays over the years, and Ed paid for veterinary bills and food for countless others that he took to the Humane Society. Ed also served as a volunteer for the Ellen Nol Art Museum, and he delivered meals for Meals on Wheels for several years. BRBREd was active during his retirement, and was a member of Odessa Country Club, Ellen Nol Art Museum, Odessa Humane Society, Odessa Duplicate Bridge Club, and The Citadel Alumni Association. BRBRPeople who knew Ed were always amazed at his intellect. He was known for his expansive knowledge of history, literature, sports, and music, and for his astounding ability to recall historical events and people. Brilliant at math, Ed could quickly calculate complex equations in his mind and provide accurate answers. For years, Ed met with a group of friends for coffee at Daylight Donuts each morning, where he was often in lively debate with Johnny and Jerri Kephart and Emil Beck. BRBROne of Ed's lifetime passions was his love for baseball. As a boy, he had the rare opportunity to pitch in practice with some of the Detroit Tiger greats, and he was lucky to attend some of their all-time great games in the 1930s and 1940s. He studied the sport for years, and became a baseball history aficionado, delighting his family and friends with facts, stats, and history. BRBRAfter retirement in 1992, Ed and Johnnye began to travel the world extensively. Both loved to take cruises that stopped in ancient and historical locations, so they could visit places where significant world history had been made. On board ship, Ed and Johnnye often won first place in trivia contests, due to Ed's vast memory of world history, music, sports, and world leaders. BRBREd was preceded in death by his parents Ruth and Vincent Ryan of Vero Beach, Florida, and by his sister Gladys Flannagan of Bethesda, Maryland. BRBREd will be deeply missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his wife Johnnye Ryan of Odessa; daughter, Leslie Ryan and husband Chuck Collins of Garland, Texas; son, Steve Ryan and wife Lynne, of Coppell, Texas; sister, Jane Fowler and husband Don Minnich of Vero Beach, Florida; grandchildren, Kathleen, John Stephen, Michael and Daniel Ryan; step-daughter, Gaylynn Garrett of Odessa and niece, Ruth Soth. In addition, his beloved dogs, Lucky, Lady, and Shaney will sorely miss him.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Humane Society of Odessa, The Ellen Noel Art Museum, or Hospice House of Odessa. With gratitude, the family wishes to thank Odyssey Hospice and Hospice House, and doctors Kodi, Gil, Leshnower and Liu, along with the caring nurses at Medical Center Hospital, Regency Hospital, and Kermit Health Care Center.

Arrangements for a memorial service are pending with Sunset Memorial Funeral Home.
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