William "Bill" Ryan

William A. Ryan, 82, passed away on January 6, 2013 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ginny, daughters Janet, Amy (Grant), Linda (Kevin), 5 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren and cousins.

He was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, on February 3, 1930, the only child of the late Bernard and Ruby Ryan.

Bill attended Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) in the ROTC program, where he was active in the ROTC Band.

After graduation he joined the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant. He later attended Michigan State University and earned an MBA in accounting. After 23 years of service in the Air Force, he retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and moved his family to Colorado Springs, where he and Ginny spent the rest of their life together in the shadow of Pikes Peak.

His passions included classical music, flying private planes, identifying military aircraft, tracking the weather and changes in the skies and mountains, and especially his family.

Visitation will take place Friday, January 11, 2013 from 10-11 a.m. at the Swan Law Funeral Directors, 501 N. Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs. Funeral services will take place at Swan Law Funeral Directors at 1 p.m. Friday. Private burial will take place at Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be mailed to 88.7 KCME FM Classical Music radio, 1921 North Weber St., Colorado Springs Colorado, 80907 to support the classical music Bill so loved.