Charles Edward Ryan Jr.

Charles “Chuck” Edward Ryan, Jr., 73, of Atlanta, died unexpectedly Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012 at the home of his parents in Galion, Ohio. Born March 30, 1938 in Crestline, he was the son of the late Charles Edward Ryan and Bernice J. (Lansdowne) Ryan (Feb. 10, 2012). He was preceded in death on July 26, 2011 by Deirdre (Kilcoyne) Ryan, his beloved wife of 48 years. Charles graduated from Galion High School, earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Case Institute of Technology (Cleveland, Ohio) and his Master’s and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University. After contributing to numerous projects and papers while on staff at the Electro Science Laboratory at Ohio State, Dr. Ryan worked for 20 years at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta and achieved the rank of Principal Research Engineer. Dr. Ryan was named an IEEE Life Fellow in 1992 for contributions to the geometric theory of diffraction and the analysis of electromagnetic scattering, he authored the Aircraft Antennas chapter of the Antenna Engineering Handbook, performed research and development for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force Avionics Laboratory and instructed others in his discipline. Charles was a longtime baseball and youth softball coach at Murphy Candler Little League and Dunwoody Senior Baseball, a founding member of All Saints Catholic Church and member of the choir and an Eagle and Explorer Scout. An avid sports fan, Charles cheered on the Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Atlanta Braves, enjoyed playing tennis and coaching or attending his children’s various sporting events. He also enjoyed reading books and watching movies – he was particularly fond of history books and John Wayne movies. Charles is survived by his loving children Patricia (David) Ryan Forrai, Centerville, Ohio; Deirdre (Jerome) Cawthorn, Springfield, Va.; Charles Ryan, III, Atlanta; Michael (Valerie) Ryan, Atlanta; and Sean (Chelsea) Ryan, Richmond, Va.; grandchildren Andrew Cawthorn of Cincinnati; Deirdre and Rachel Beggs of Springfield, Va.; Daniel, Grace and Christopher Forrai of Centerville, Ohio; and William, Benjamin, and Harper Ryan of Richmond, Va. A visitation will be held on Friday, Feb. 24, from 6-8 p.m. with a Rosary service at 7:30 p.m. at H.M. Patterson and Son (Oglethorpe Hill). A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 11 a.m. at All Saints Catholic Church. Interment will be in North Atlanta Memorial Park at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul or the Boy Scouts of America.