Patrick L. Ryan, died at home on December 12, 2020, six days shy of his Diamond Jubilee 75th birthday.  Pat was born in Des Moines on December 18, 1945 to Leo and Anna (Dergo) Ryan. He attended St. John’s, All Saints, Dowling, and Conception Seminary before earning a BA in English from Creighton University. He married the love of his life, Mary Percival, in 1967, and joined the United States Army in 1968, serving a combat tour of duty in Vietnam as part of the 4th Infantry Division from 1969 to 1970. Though he returned from the Army unsupportive of the war, he was fiercely proud of his service and the men he served with. He often described his experience in Vietnam as the adventure of his life, returning to Vietnam with his family twice in the last four years.

After returning from his tour in Vietnam, Pat earned a MA in English from the University of Iowa, and a MBA from Drake University, alternating throughout his career between teaching and accounting. He taught English at St. Albert’s High School in Council Bluffs, Mount St. Clare College in Clinton, Iowa State University, and Des Moines Area Community College. He also worked in accounting at Honeywell in Minneapolis, Barber Colman in Rockford, IL, and Ruan Corporation, Life Care Services, and Qualis in Des Moines. After officially retiring, he worked for several more years at Dahl’s grocery store on Ingersoll where he loved catching up with neighbors and staying active.

A true renaissance man, Pat found something to be fascinated by with everyone and everything. Pat especially loved history, literature, politics, and genealogy, spending hours happily researching and discussing what he learned. His penchant for travel took him to all 50 states and to many countries around the world where he had friends and family, including South Africa, Nigeria, Thailand, France, Slovakia, and the Netherlands, among others. Pat’s book collection would rival any library’s, and he was known for flying his extensive collection of historical flags to the delight of his neighbors and many a small child.

Pat’s enthusiasm for learning and teaching were infectious. He reveled in sharing his knowledge, and he regularly encouraged both family and friends to learn and travel as much as possible, often backing up his moral support with the financial support to make others’ education and travel possible. A child of Catholic social teaching who came of age during the Civil Rights Movement, Pat loved people and passionately believed in social justice and the equality and value of all human beings. His children are especially grateful that he instilled these beliefs in them, and that he gave them the opportunity to live fearlessly in the world and relish all its wonders, while keeping them grounded in a desire to serve humanity.

Pat is survived by his wife of nearly 53 years, Mary Percival Ryan, of Des Moines, his three children, Patrick Ryan, Mary Beth Ryan of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and Melissa (Jeetendra) Ryan of Rockville, MD, sister Sharon (Dick) Pauly of Centennial, CO, brothers Dan (Jane) Ryan of Altoona, IA, and Jeff (Joyce)Ryan of Granbury, TX, and numerous loving nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, neighbors, and surrogate grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Nutrition 4 Young Children, Fisher House, or The Malala Fund.

Pat’s funeral service will be 1:00pm, Saturday, December 19, 2020 at Dunn’s Chapel, 2121 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312. The family will then go in procession with Pat, past their family home on Harwood Drive, to Glendale Cemetery for burial with military honors.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, in-person attendance of the funeral is by invitation only. However, the service will be livestreamed on Saturday, beginning at 1:00pm from Dunn’s Chapel for those unable to attend the funeral or cemetery services. A link will be shared shortly before 1:00pm at the top of his obituary on the Iles Funeral Homes website: www.ilescares.com Those who wish to pay their respects in-person who cannot attend the funeral are welcome to join the family on the funeral procession and at the burial.

https://www.ilesfuneralhomes.com/obituary/Patrick-Leo-Ryan/Des-Moines-Iowa/1882705