Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Thomas A. Ryan, 76, died peacefully at the Cottage at Spring Arbor, Winchester, Virginia on Friday, 20 December 2019.

Master Chief Ryan was born on April 1, 1943 in Gary, Indiana to Arthur and Lucille Ryan. He graduated from Edison High School, East Gary Indiana, 1961. In 1962, he joined the US Navy and was assigned to the Marine Corps base Quantico, Virginia. In 1966 he was deployed to Vietnam on the USS Princeton with Marine Aircraft Group-36, the first complete naval medical air evacuation unit of its kind. After numerous combat missions, culminating with the Tet Offensive, he transferred to several medical facilities, including NAS Pensacola, USNH Orlando, 6th & 2nd MARDIV, Camp Lejeune, 3rd MED Bn, Okinawa Japan, and Naval Medical Command, London, England, retiring with the rank of Command Master Chief.

He received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College in 1977 and his master’s degree from Pepperdine University in 1979. After a medical discharge with full honors in 1989, he continued to serve the US Navy as a Safety Inspector at the Bremerton Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington.

Master Chief Ryan was a brave and loyal Sailor, as well as a patient and loving father. He is survived by his three children, Denise Newton (David), Terrence P. Ryan (Suzy) and Natalie Langford (Michael), his sisters Mary Lu Sexton and Vicky Nikolich, and 12 grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his brother Terry and wife, Kathryn.

The family would like to thank everyone at Blue Ridge Hospice and Spring Arbor for all of their love, care and support of Thomas and his family.

A memorial service will take place 25 January 2020, 10:00 am, St. Francis Xavier Parish Church, 2447 Putnam St, Lake Station, IN 46405. The service will be officiated by Rev. David W. Kime.

His final resting place will be next to his beloved wife Kathryn, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia at a later date.

Donations in-lieu-of flowers may be sent to The Gary Sinise Foundation, https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/donate/, and/or Blue Ridge Hospice, Winchester, Virginia, at https://www.brhospice.org/donate/, in “memory of” Thomas Ryan.