Joseph K. Ryan, Jr., 80, of Stamford passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family at home on Friday, April 13, 2012. Born on May 5 ,1931 in Bridgeport, CT to the late Joseph K. and Louise Boynton Ryan, Sr.
Joseph was a graduate St. Basil’s Preparatory School of Stamford, Class of 1949 and served two years in the US Army during the Korean War. He was a member of the Phil Jones Harvest Moon Ball Dance Troupe of which he won awards and also appeared four times on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950’s. His love of autos started in his teens when he worked at the James Melton Museum in Norwalk .He was an avid racing fan and timed races at the Daytona and Limerock Raceways. He was employed as a General Manager at Mercedes Benz of Greenwich, CT for twenty three years before his retirement and was a member of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).
He is survived by his loving wife Joan Crawford Ryan of Stamford, his loving children Valletta Ryan of Norwalk, Joseph K. Ryan, III of Guilford, CT, Debra Whitman of Norwalk and Richard D. Haug, Jr. and his wife Lisa of New Milford, CT. Also surviving are his loving grandchildren Ashley and Jessica Whitman, Casey Dinkins, Dylan and Conner Haug.
A funeral procession will be leaving The Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford, Ct 06902 at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 for a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at Church of St. Cecilia, 1184 Newfield Avenue, Stamford at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow at St. John’s Cemetery, Darien. Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 from 4:00-8:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Joseph’s memory to the Disabled American Veterans, DAV Memorial Program, P.O Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com