John W. Ryan

John Winthrop Ryan passed away at Rhode Island Hospital on Friday, July 19, 2024, at age 89 (or as he liked to say, "in his 90th year"). John spent most of his childhood years living in the Panama Canal Zone with his family. After graduating from Munson Academy, John joined the United States Marine Corps. The Marines brought John to London, where he met and married his wife of 60 years, Olive Hutnan, of Edmonton, Alberta, CA.

John and Olive returned to the US, where, thanks to the GI Bill, John obtained his degree in Mining & Mechanical Engineering from the University of Idaho. Eventually, the pair settled in South Windsor, Connecticut, where they raised their two children, Catharine and John David. John was an engineer and international marketing representative for Pratt & Whitney for many years. As part of that role, he traveled the globe, visiting China, South America, the Pacific Islands, Africa, and the Middle East. He always returned home with a unique souvenir and incredible stories of his adventures, which he loved sharing with his family and friends. John was a proud father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

He is predeceased by his wife, Olive, his parents Lillian Ferry and John Ryan, and his younger brother David. He is survived by his daughter, Catharine and her husband Jonathan, the Calianos grandchildren: Aislyne, Julia, and Aidan; his son, John David, the Ryan grandchildren: Patrick and Chelsea; and great grandchildren: Julius and Nidia.


Private funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Holt Funeral Home, 510 S. Main St., Woonsocket, RI. Donations in John's memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. May John's memory be eternal and his life everlasting.

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