Thomas Edgar Ryan

Dr. Thomas E. Ryan

Tom was born Thomas Edgar Ryan on April 15th, 1929 and grew up in Ballston Spa, New York. He was the oldest of five children and ruffled more than a few feathers by being one of the first in his generation to attend a four-year college. He then worked his way through medical school at Georgetown in Washington DC, followed by service as an army captain stationed in Germany.

He met the woman who would be at his side for the rest of his life, Dolores Ross, a nurse, during medical residency in Detroit Michigan, and together they built his medical practice and raised a family in the surrounding area.

Tom was a modern day renaissance man, always tackling new things and challenging the status quo. He was the first anesthesiologist in Macomb County outside of Detroit, and established many programs and procedures there that we take for granted today - CPR classes, Emergency response protocols, ICU, and so on. His efforts were recognized by numerous service awards.

Later he and Dolores moved to Ann Arbor, where after nearly four decades of medical practice, they transitioned into retirement and started a new hobby: golfing. This followed them to Arizona, where they lived for 10 years. In 2009 he and Dolores moved to Seattle and actively joined the community at Mirabella as charter members. There Tom made many new friends, and continued to push forward: organizing opera nights, wine tasting events, classical music appreciation, a bus to church, monthly mass, and of course "Bow Tie Tuesday" for his fellow dapper dressers.

In life, Tom enjoyed a sophisticated wine collection. He loved the opera and symphony and generously supported the arts. He loved American history and had a voracious memory for facts and figures. His children loved to quiz him - and were always amazed at his near total recall. He was an avid student throughout his life and stayed current as an audiophile, oenophile, photographer and bicyclist. His approach was consistent: "read the manual", "do it right", "be deep and thorough", "never compromise on quality".

Tom's energy, enthusiasm for life and the fascinating stories growing up in a small town during the 1930's and 40's, which seemed to only get better with time, will certainly be missed.

Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and John Ryan, and by his sister Anita. He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 60 years, Dolores; Sisters: Rhea, Liz, and brother John; his six children and their spouses: Thomas (May Lin), Christopher (Barbara), Matthew (Charlene), Michael (Christy), Monica (Doug) and Carolyn (Dixon); ten grandchildren: Patrick, Scott, Stephanie, Katie, Christine, Brigit, Matthew Jr., Andrew, William and John and two great grandchildren: Jocelyn and Cole.