Francis E. Ryan

Francis Edward Ryan of Vienna, VA passed away peacefully on January 4, 2021 surrounded by his loving family. He was born on March 12, 1928 to the late Francis and Sarah (Sally) Ryan in Scranton, PA. He is preceded in death by his sister, Marilyn Gernert. Frank is survived by his adoring wife of 48 years, Christine; children Timothy Ryan (Heide) of Washington, DC and Molly Ryan Allred (Robert) of Vienna, VA; and grandchildren Lilly, Annie, Reece and Carly Allred and Vaughn Ryan. In his early years, Frank spent his time in daily service to the Jesuit priests at the University of Scranton. When he wasn’t serving the Jesuits, he was playing first base for the Central City Boosters. The homerun he smacked out of Memorial Stadium is still talked about to this day. His speed allowed him to steal many bases. Baseball was his favorite sport and he was an avid Nationals fan from the moment the team came to DC. How lucky that he got to watch them win the World Series in 2019! Frank graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Scranton in 1951. During his 4 years there, he received a full scholarship for his continued service with the Jesuit priests. Upon graduation, he was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, DC. In 1953, Frank was sent to Taipei, Taiwan for a 2-year tour. The journey to Taipei involved flying from Washington to Philadelphia to San Francisco to Hawaii to Wake Island to the Philippines to Taipei, all in 4 engine prop planes. Thus, began a career where trains, planes, buses, automobiles and every mode of transportation possible would get him where he needed to be in the world. As a Counter Intelligence Officer and as part of the Office of Security, he traveled extensively throughout the Far East, Africa, Europe, South & Central America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. There are few countries in the world that he did not visit. Not bad for a boy from Scranton who had never been anywhere other than Buffalo! World War II movie clips that Frank saw as a teenager helped foster a life-long fascination with aircraft. He was fortunate enough in his career to work on the U-2 Project with the CIA. During his time at the Agency, he received several citations, including a Certificate of Distinction and upon his retirement in 1977 after a 25-year career was awarded the Career Intelligence Medal. Following the CIA, he transitioned to service at the US Department of State. Moving to the private sector, Frank was Vice President of USATREX Intl, Inc. and then formed and was President of Rytec, Inc. Frank officially retired from working when he was well into his 80’s. Frank loved life. He was an eternal optimist who always saw the glass more than half full and that there was no problem without a solution. He continued to travel the world for pleasure with his wife and children, exposing them to different cultures and people. Perhaps the most memorable was a trip to Ireland, where the Ryan family originated. Frank was a voracious reader of non-fiction works and multiple daily newspapers. He even found much enjoyment in reading Plato and Socrates. Along with reading, Frank enjoyed writing, whether it be compiling stories and events from his life or composing humorous poems and skits to entertain friends and family. The tributes he wrote and delivered at his children’s weddings were epic. Frank was also a great raconteur who regaled people with unbelievable events that happened in his life, many from his days growing up in Scranton and from his worldly-travels. He and Chris loved spending time at their home on the Outer Banks of NC, where they hosted many friends, including the We Ten every year for the 4th of July. Frank and Chris spent their weekends dining out, especially at singing venues. Frank was the person responsible for pushing Chris to sing in public; the first time being at a hotel piano bar in Bangkok in 1994. He was her biggest fan and when meeting new people always said, “This is my wife Chris; she sings!” Frank also felt fortunate that his children, Tim and Molly, remained local so that he saw them often. As they became adults, he loved sharing a bottle of wine with them and solving the world’s problems. The icing on the cake were his 5 beautiful grandchildren. Affectionately named “Frankie,” he delighted the kids with his funny jokes, tricks, nicknames and playing the “dollar game,’ which involved handing out 20 dollar bills every time they came over. Frank was generous and kind to all. He was a great listener and made people feel as if they were truly understood. He was a perfect gentleman with a gentle soul and made friends everywhere he went, most of them life-long. A life well lived and long remembered. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Our Lady of Good Counsel on Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 at 11AM. In order to attend please follow the link to RSVP Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church. https://tinyurl.com/FuneralmassRSVP Interment will follow immediately after mass at National Memorial Park, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042.