Dennis Ryan

Treasured father, husband, brother, son, son-in-law, brother-in-law, nephew, cousin, uncle and friend, whose life centered around his three beautiful and cherished daughters (Danielle, Sarah, Allison) and his beloved wife Stacy. He is also survived by his mother Ruth Ryan and sister Katie Daniels.

A tough guy on the outside, Dennis was a true softy to anyone who knew him. He wore a stern facade that would melt into a mischievous grin and sparkling blue eyes as he teased you or told an irreverent story or a predictably bad dad-joke. A man who professed to hate cats but could be found cuddling and baby-talking his daughters' cats. A man who looked like a scary biker gang member, but dressed up like Santa, wore funny hats and loved his special edition Nike shoes. Dennis couldn't bear to watch scary movies, but instead wore out two copies of the 2002 Live Scooby Doo movie with his daughters. He was a thoughtful gift giver, remembered special occasions and was a kind and considerate son and brother.

Steady and dependable, Dennis worked at the Waldorf, RockTenn, WestRock site for three decades to provide a home for his family, who were his everything. Working swing shift for so many years is not for the faint of heart, and while it wasn't easy, Dennis was a dedicated and hard worker. Over the years, Dennis made many friends and left an impression on everyone he met there. Finding humor in the peculiar, ridiculous, and aggravating, Dennis entertained everyone with stories of life at a paper mill that could have been a hit sit-com or reality show. Dennis often had to take a break mid-story to collect himself and stop laughing because he cracked himself up and enjoyed the telling as much as the story itself.

Helpful to a fault, Dennis was always available to friends and family to move anything and everything, from a full household to a decrepit exercise bike to filing cabinets full of useless papers - the heavier and more complicated, the better. He always said that if anyone had a load of anvils to move, he was the man they'd call, and inevitably, he'd always answer.

Incredibly smart, and with a memory like a steel trap, Dennis would have made an excellent librarian with his ability to find a specific article in a particular issue from his extensive, perfectly organized auto and motorcycle magazine collection. According to his girls, he was also the only one in the household who could do math.

A man of high taste, Denn loved nothing more than a good corn dog and was even caught on a cable tv episode at the State Fair one year. Dennis loved motorcycling and the friends he made going on runs to South Dakota and charity rides. He was also a veteran of the Army Reserve and MN National Guard.

Dennis will be missed by all; the world is a better place for him being in it, even for such a short time.