Obituary of Philip D. Ryan

Philip Denis Ryan passed away peacefully on February 7, 2025,  He was exceptionally warm, joyous and loving.  He had a quick wit and a wacky sense of humor that was accompanied by a sparkle in his blue eyes and a wry smile when he knew he "got you."    He loved a puzzle; a challenge and a conundrum.  He cherished the beauty and complexity of music--everything from Bach to Queen, from Meatloaf to harmonies from Ireland and Norway.  He was the piano man to all who loved him, and his exceptional piano skills were largely self-taught by ear.  He could hear a tune and recreate it, embellished, a moment later. Music was the vehicle that connected him through all of life with what he cherished most: people.  His love for his family was limitless and his innate love for people distinguished him as a person who made new friends until the moment his life ended.  

Phil Ryan was born in 1936 in Brooklyn.  He was the only boy in a family of four sisters. "The Ryan five" and their cousins were inseparable and grew up bonded and devoted to one another. His childhood was spent on the water in Poquott, Long Island where his family moved when he was 11.  It was a childhood of boats, fishing, salty air and tinkering alongside his engineer dad who imparted countless lessons in the mechanics of engines.  Those lessons led Phil to emerge as a uniquely innovative thinker.  It was also on those beaches that he began a life that was rich with purpose, joy and always love. 

In 1953 he graduated Port Jefferson high school and later graduated from Holy Cross with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Relations (1957), took a course in Contract Negotiations at the Institute of Industrial Relations (1957) as well as a four-month course in Electronics Administration conducted by the US Navy at the United States Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois.  He later completed his master's in business administration (MBA) at NYU Stern School of Business and a Certification in Financial Planning (CFP.)  His initial wish after high school was to enlist in the Navy, but his mom, a teacher, saw to it that he pursued his education.  This investment resulted in a passion for exploring the inner and outer workings of everything--from electrical circuits to the complex human mind.  

The two passions that interwove his life were music and the sea.  Music lit up his soul with its rhythm, capacity to transform, heal and enliven.  From 1951-1954, he spent summers with the Von Trapp family as a worker and general supervisor at the Trapp Family Music Camp in Stowe, Vermont.  He believed that each of us can be made more deeply alive by the sound and the power of music.  From 1954-1957 he became a co-manager and musician with the St. James Society Collegiate Dixieland Band and his entire life forward was infused by the joy of performance and the excitement of the stage.  This lasted well into his last year of life.  He used music to move people, inspire and touch their souls.  He could immerse himself in music and could spend entire afternoons listening to a genre and being taken by its beauty.  There was no home that he lived in during his 88 years that didn't have music playing most of the time and there were no days when he didn't stop his activities to allow himself to be taken by its vision, complexity and beauty.  

His love of the sea and devotion to people led to his enlistment in the US Navy.   He ultimately became a Lieutenant.   His days of service to his country at sea shaped memories that translated later into bedtime stories for his children.  It also inspired a volunteer life of public service that defined how he used his spirit and compassion to make the world a better place.  He treasured public service and he loved the potential for service to change communities through public work.   

His professional life was defined by decades in the computer industry--at the inception of the industry.  His clients included fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, computer manufacturers, software firms, hospitals, government and more.  During the first ten years of his career, he held responsible positions with IBM, RCA and ITT.  He established his own consulting organization in 1969 and was the President of COAP Planning Company from 1975-1981.  In 1982, he founded Marketing Assistance Corporation where he helped businesses in the computer industry increase sales and profitability in the national and international marketplace. He implemented cutting-edge, forward-thinking workplace policies, such as flex time to allow his staff who had children or elderly parents to meet their family obligations and be simultaneously successful in their careers.  This was unheard of at the time.  In all of the work and all of the roles he took on across his career, caring for the people who worked for him and with him was a constant commitment he deeply believed in.   

After retirement, he became passionate about travel and photography--another medium to capture the beauty that life, nature and humanity offers.  He sold pictures in a gallery in Boston, participating in exhibits and amassing more photographs than there would ever be walls to display.  He also volunteered to knock on doors and work on the campaigns of leaders that inspired him.  He loved nature, the smell of summer, the energy of animals, the first sip of morning coffee, the Mets, the Patriots, corny jokes and much more.  In the last years of his life he created a music group and a poetry group at a program he regularly attended and he took the performances and opportunities to build beautiful sound and spirit so meaningfully. 

His Irish heritage meant that he loved songs from Ireland and listened to them regularly and it also meant that St. Patrick's Day and the month of March was something he always enjoyed.   He cherished every holiday and brought a spirit of celebration to life. He would often be the last one to leave the party and the first one to suggest the party in the first place.   It is fitting that his funeral will be on Valentine's Day, a day that celebrates love for the man with the biggest heart.  

Phil was a person who connected others and loved the human spirit.  His disposition was to understand his fellow humans regardless of how they presented, what they believed in or what their purpose was.  He always sought to understand them and to bring the Grace of compassion to the conversation and the relationship.  He traveled the world seeking understanding and was active in advancing dialogue about issues that he believed would lift up and elevate outcomes for as many people as possible.  Mostly, above all, he loved his family.  He cherished relationships of his past with the same reverence of those in the present.  In being who he is, his greatest legacy, aside from his family, are all of the thousands of people he inspired, loved, extended compassion to and encouraged.  The world, amidst all of its challenges, is a much better place because of the love and light of Phil's 88 years. 

He is survived by his children Rebecca Sanin, Sean Ryan, Ben Ryan, Elisabeth Weiss, Meaddows Ryan and Susannah Ryan (predeceased), their spouses, Jairo Sanin, Lisa Ryan, Jonathan Weiss, former wife, Nina Cohen, eight beloved grandchildren,, two sisters, three brothers in law, many nieces and nephews, cousins and many people who loved him dearly.  In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to the Heifer International  or World Central Kitchen, as the cause of eradicating poverty and hunger were near and dear to Phil's giant heart.  
 

Visitation Thursday 5-8 PM; Funeral Service Friday 10 AM

M.A. Connell Funeral Home 

934 New York Avenue 

Huntington Station, NY 11746