Obituary for James Alfred Ryan
At the age of 92, James Alfred Ryan (also known as “Jim” and “Jimmy”) entered the sleep of death on December 15, 2022. Open visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 17, 2022, and from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 18, 2022. Funeral services will begin 10:30 a.m. on Monday, December 19, 2022 at the Strode Funeral Home Chapel in Stillwater, Oklahoma with Steve Ryan officiating. Interment following at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Jim was born July 7, 1930, on the family “share cropper” farm that was a land lease on Sac and Fox Indian Land located in the Mounds Township of Payne County, Oklahoma, and in the “log cabin” and “Council Valley” community areas. His parents were Grady and Thelma (Williams) Ryan. He had two older brothers, Robert “Bob” Ryan and Fred “Huck” Ryan, and one older sister, Juanita (Ryan) Gray.
Jim graduated from high school at the former Norfolk School near Yale, Oklahoma. His interests in high school included playing basketball and FFA (Future Farmers of America). Shortly after high school, Jim went on wheat harvest. He also attended Oklahoma State University for a brief period of time during which he met his future wife, Alice Swisher of Stillwater, when she was working in a local drug store/soda fountain. After their marriage in September of 1949, Jim and Alice operated a small store and gas station at “Perkins Corner” located south of Stillwater. Jim spent a short period of time working in some of Oklahoma’s oil fields and also at a Phillips 66 Refinery where he played basketball for the company’s intramural team: “The Phillips 66ers.”
Sometime during the early ‘50’s, Jim became an owner-operator truck driver. By 1956, Jim and Alice’s family had grown to five with the addition of three sons. In 1959, he began hauling freight for trucking companies. The Ryan Family moved from Oklahoma to the Pacific Northwest (Washington and Oregon) in the early ‘60’s for a few years and then returned home to Oklahoma, living in the Oklahoma City area until 1971. At this point, Jim’s employer transferred him from Oklahoma City to Lawton. In 1975, he was transferred again to Texas, where he and Alice resided in Colleyville until 1996. During their time in Colleyville, Jim retired from his long-time career as a truck driver and as a “Teamsters Union” member for over 30 years.
In 1996, Jim and Alice returned home to Oklahoma once again, this time to Stillwater. They bought a 160-acre farm located in the southeast corner of Noble County between Stillwater and Pawnee where they built a home. While living at this location, Jim enjoyed producing livestock hay and planting and growing a one-acre garden which produced watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and okra. After about 9 years, they sold all but a portion of the farm and moved south of Stillwater into a home on 7 acres. After being married 58 years, Alice passed away due to a short-term illness in 2007.
During their time together, Jim and Alice enjoyed waterskiing and many snowskiing trips to Colorado and New Mexico. They also enjoyed traveling to such locations as the Phillippines, Germany, Hawaii, and Alaska. Many annual trips were made to the Texas Rio Grande Valley during the winter months in their RV, where they enjoyed square dancing, visiting Old Mexico, and playing table games with friends.
Shortly after losing Alice, Jim sold the house south of Stillwater and returned to the remainder of the farm he had kept and built a barn-dominium that served as his home base between spending the winter months in South Texas and the summer months in Southfork, Colorado, in his RV.
In 2010, on one of his trips to South Texas, Jim met a new square dance partner, Phyllis Wildt, who he asked to be his wife. They were married on May 11, 2010. During his time with Phyllis, the two
enjoyed several wonderful years travelling between their home base on the farm, South Texas, and Colorado. Their time together included not only square dancing and playing games with friends but also many miles riding ATV’s in the Colorado Mountains. Phyllis proved to be a devoted and loyal companion who took diligent care of Jim during his latter years.
As a faithful member of the Second Advent Christian Church, Jim was a FIRM believer in the return of Jesus Christ and Resurrection from death to a perfect life on a renewed Earth.
Jim is predeceased by his first wife, parents, two brothers, and sister.
He is survived by his second wife, Phyllis, of the home; and three sons, Kenneth and wife, Del, of Edmond; Raymond and wife, Elaine, of Tucson, AZ; and Steve and wife, Brenda, of Yukon. Surviving grandchildren include eight granddaughters and three grandsons: Jennifer Flores and husband, Eddie, of Oklahoma City; Michelle Uhland and husband, Zane, of Edmond; Margaret Murray and husband, Shane, of Edmond; Jessica Tucker and husband, Jesse, of Edmond; Cindy Thompson and husband, Travis, of Tucson, AZ; and Becky Bales of Allen, TX; Ashley Campbell and husband, Colby, of Jones; Amber Marrs and husband, Jason, of North Richland Hills, TX; Austin Ryan of Yukon, OK; Ramon Ryan of Mustang, OK; and Rodrigo Benitez of San Diego, CA; extended family members, Linda Hall, and husband, Eric, of Scottsdale, AZ; and Tim Anderson and wife, Jodie, of Homer, MI; as well as 22 great grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, and two nieces.
Jim will be sorely missed and remembered by all as a wonderful and fun-loving father, grandfather, G.G., husband, and uncle.
Jim was born July 7, 1930, on the family “share cropper” farm that was a land lease on Sac and Fox Indian Land located in the Mounds Township of Payne County, Oklahoma, and in the “log cabin” and “Council Valley” community areas. His parents were Grady and Thelma (Williams) Ryan. He had two older brothers, Robert “Bob” Ryan and Fred “Huck” Ryan, and one older sister, Juanita (Ryan) Gray.
Jim graduated from high school at the former Norfolk School near Yale, Oklahoma. His interests in high school included playing basketball and FFA (Future Farmers of America). Shortly after high school, Jim went on wheat harvest. He also attended Oklahoma State University for a brief period of time during which he met his future wife, Alice Swisher of Stillwater, when she was working in a local drug store/soda fountain. After their marriage in September of 1949, Jim and Alice operated a small store and gas station at “Perkins Corner” located south of Stillwater. Jim spent a short period of time working in some of Oklahoma’s oil fields and also at a Phillips 66 Refinery where he played basketball for the company’s intramural team: “The Phillips 66ers.”
Sometime during the early ‘50’s, Jim became an owner-operator truck driver. By 1956, Jim and Alice’s family had grown to five with the addition of three sons. In 1959, he began hauling freight for trucking companies. The Ryan Family moved from Oklahoma to the Pacific Northwest (Washington and Oregon) in the early ‘60’s for a few years and then returned home to Oklahoma, living in the Oklahoma City area until 1971. At this point, Jim’s employer transferred him from Oklahoma City to Lawton. In 1975, he was transferred again to Texas, where he and Alice resided in Colleyville until 1996. During their time in Colleyville, Jim retired from his long-time career as a truck driver and as a “Teamsters Union” member for over 30 years.
In 1996, Jim and Alice returned home to Oklahoma once again, this time to Stillwater. They bought a 160-acre farm located in the southeast corner of Noble County between Stillwater and Pawnee where they built a home. While living at this location, Jim enjoyed producing livestock hay and planting and growing a one-acre garden which produced watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and okra. After about 9 years, they sold all but a portion of the farm and moved south of Stillwater into a home on 7 acres. After being married 58 years, Alice passed away due to a short-term illness in 2007.
During their time together, Jim and Alice enjoyed waterskiing and many snowskiing trips to Colorado and New Mexico. They also enjoyed traveling to such locations as the Phillippines, Germany, Hawaii, and Alaska. Many annual trips were made to the Texas Rio Grande Valley during the winter months in their RV, where they enjoyed square dancing, visiting Old Mexico, and playing table games with friends.
Shortly after losing Alice, Jim sold the house south of Stillwater and returned to the remainder of the farm he had kept and built a barn-dominium that served as his home base between spending the winter months in South Texas and the summer months in Southfork, Colorado, in his RV.
In 2010, on one of his trips to South Texas, Jim met a new square dance partner, Phyllis Wildt, who he asked to be his wife. They were married on May 11, 2010. During his time with Phyllis, the two
enjoyed several wonderful years travelling between their home base on the farm, South Texas, and Colorado. Their time together included not only square dancing and playing games with friends but also many miles riding ATV’s in the Colorado Mountains. Phyllis proved to be a devoted and loyal companion who took diligent care of Jim during his latter years.
As a faithful member of the Second Advent Christian Church, Jim was a FIRM believer in the return of Jesus Christ and Resurrection from death to a perfect life on a renewed Earth.
Jim is predeceased by his first wife, parents, two brothers, and sister.
He is survived by his second wife, Phyllis, of the home; and three sons, Kenneth and wife, Del, of Edmond; Raymond and wife, Elaine, of Tucson, AZ; and Steve and wife, Brenda, of Yukon. Surviving grandchildren include eight granddaughters and three grandsons: Jennifer Flores and husband, Eddie, of Oklahoma City; Michelle Uhland and husband, Zane, of Edmond; Margaret Murray and husband, Shane, of Edmond; Jessica Tucker and husband, Jesse, of Edmond; Cindy Thompson and husband, Travis, of Tucson, AZ; and Becky Bales of Allen, TX; Ashley Campbell and husband, Colby, of Jones; Amber Marrs and husband, Jason, of North Richland Hills, TX; Austin Ryan of Yukon, OK; Ramon Ryan of Mustang, OK; and Rodrigo Benitez of San Diego, CA; extended family members, Linda Hall, and husband, Eric, of Scottsdale, AZ; and Tim Anderson and wife, Jodie, of Homer, MI; as well as 22 great grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, and two nieces.
Jim will be sorely missed and remembered by all as a wonderful and fun-loving father, grandfather, G.G., husband, and uncle.