Roy Ryan

1930 - 2025

Roy Hugh Ryan died at age 94 on January 19, 2025. A retired United Methodist Minister, he was born in Prentiss County, Mississippi on January 28, 1930, to N.C. (Lum) and Bela Nabers Ryan. He spent his early childhood in Itawamba County and was a graduate of Itawamba Agricultural High School and in the first graduating class of Itawamba Community College in 1950, when he also received his license to preach. As a young minister in 1959, Roy and a few associates, introduced a resolution to the Methodist Conference, calling for a study committee to consider a retirement center that later resulted in the development of Traceway Manor in Tupelo and beginning Methodist Senior Services. Rev. Dr. Ryan received degrees from Millsaps College, and the schools of theology at Emory University, Southern Methodist University and Vanderbilt University. He served as pastor in Nettleton, MS and was the organizing pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church in Cleveland, MS. He also served as a pastor in Dallas, Texas for four years and as an adult Christian education specialist with the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, TN for 22 years. He and his wife, Doris, moved to Tupelo in 1999.

Rev. Ryan is survived by his wife of 71 years, whom he married on June 7, 1953, Doris Finney Ryan; two daughters, Laura McLaughlin (Fred) of Nashville, TN, and LaFaye Hidinger (John) of Murfreesboro, TN; six grandchildren, Ryan McLaughlin Wood (Barrett) of Nashville, TN, Anderson McLaughlin (Claire) of Nashville, TN, David Goldberg (Allison) of Burbank, CA, Anna Goldberg Conry (Jeremy) of Chicago, IL, Andrew Hidinger of Destin, FL, and Jacob Hidinger of Chattanooga, TN; four great-grandchildren, Simmons Wood and Ellison Wood both of Nashville, TN, and Palmer McLaughlin and Thompson McLaughlin both of Nashville; and one son-in-law, Mark Goldberg of Chicago, IL; he is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and one daughter, Susan Goldberg (Mark) of Crystal Lake, IL: two brothers, Lamar N. Ryan of Zion, IL; J.R. Ryan of Marietta, MS, and one sister, Allene Young of Saltillo, MS.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 3 PM on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at First United Methodist Church - Tupelo with Rev. Rusty Keen officiating. Visitation will begin at 2 PM in the Gathering Room. Holland Funeral Directors-Tupelo is honored to serve the family.

Memorial gifts may be made to The Mitchell Center at Traceway Retirement Community, P.O. Box 1567, Tupelo, MS 38802 (www.mss.org/donate), or to the Itawamba Community College Foundation - Rev. Dr. Roy H. and Doris Finney Ryan Endowed Scholarship Fund, 602 West Hill St., Fulton, MS 38843.