John W. Ryan ’44
John Ryan died Feb. 17, 1999, in Rye, N.Y. He was 76. He came to us from Trinity School, where he was editor of the Trinity Times. At Princeton he roomed with John Bigbie sophomore year, majored in politics, was president of Cloister Inn, and was active on the Daily Princetonian and Nassau Sovereign boards.
After graduating in 1943 with an AB, he spent three years in the Navy, mostly in the Pacific. Separated as a lieutenant (j.g.), his career took him to NYC's Penn Station, where he owned, operated, and was president of the John W. Ryan English Shops until their closing in 1977. Subsequently he became controller at Trinity School in NYC and, later, business manager at Greenwich [Conn.] Academy. His interests centered around Civil War history, Robert E. Lee, and naval affairs. His widow describes him as a "true lover of Princeton who never failed to support his class."
He is survived by his widow, Constance, sons John and Dwight, daughter Susan, and six grandchildren to all of whom the class extends its sympathy.
The Class of 1944
Paw in print
October 2024
Exit interviews with alumni retiring from Congress; the Supreme Court’s seismic shift; higher education on the ballot