Terry Ryan RIP Longridge Circle 2006-2018

The Brothers of Longridge Circle were well represented at Terry Ryan’s requiem and the family is forever grateful to the Catenians, their brotherhood and fellowship. With the help of Terry’s wife, Pat, Joe Carroll writes:

Terence Michael Ryan was born in Farnworth, Bolton on 5^th November 1936. He was the eldest of three children and the family soon moved to Blackpool where his mother and aunt ran a successful boarding house. His father was Chief Fire Officer at Salwick and encouraged Terry after “passing” his 11+ to attend St Joseph’s College, a Christian Brothers establishment, in Blackpool.

He left the school in 1955 and took up the position of Trainee QS with Lancashire County Council. It was a County Hall that Terry met Pat, in the “brew room” and shortly after married her at St Joseph’s, Ribbleton in 1961.

During this period Terry was an active member of St Joseph’s College Old Boys RUFC and when in 1959 it was suggested that they form the basis of the new Blackpool RUFC he continued to be involved for a further 5 or 6 years.

Terry and Pat had three children, Peter, Catherine and Joanne, all of whom he encouraged in education and was proud of their individual achievements. He also continued his own education gaining a BSc in Estate Management from Reading University.

Terry was a keen motorcyclist and trial bike rider achieving notable victories in a variety of competitions. He also had a love of sailing and was an experienced Mirror and Enterprise dinghy sailor, passing on his love and experience to his three children especially on cold wet days!

After qualifying he left Lancashire County Council and obtained a teaching post at what was then Preston Polytechnic, now University of Central Lancashire where he became Head of the Building Department before transferring to the Business Department. He took early retirement at 50 and took a position with a Salford company, eventually becoming self employed as a computer programmer.

Pat recalls, for relaxation, Terry set himself the task of rebuilding a Range Rover from the chassis upwards, meticulously taking his time from January 1992 to September 1998 at which point he decided to sell it to Father Christmas!!

Terry joined Preston Amounderness Rotary Club and soon became involved in the day to day running as Public Relations Officer. He joined Longridge Circle 286 in 2006 and was soon Registrar 2007-2009 and then took on the role of Secretary from 2010-2014.

Terry continued to enjoy attending St Joseph’s College OB’s annual reunion dinners held in Blackpool each year and a testament to his standing was the number of SJOBs at Terry’s Requiem.

In his retirement he took up golf becoming a member at Longridge Golf Club, not the easiest course in the world but he was famously part of the Longridge Circle team that won the Provincial Golf Trophy for four consecutive years. In 2015 his score tipped the result in favour of Longridge.

He and Pat enjoyed their four grand children William, Christian, Lilli and Charlie and spent many happy holidays with them.

Terry’s last meeting at Longridge was on Tuesday 16^th January 2018 when after the meeting he enjoyed a meal and a glass of red wine in the company of friends and in the early hours of 17^th he passed away. His Requiem Mass at St Francis, Hill Chapel was packed to capacity as his family, friends, school chums and his Catenian Brothers said farewell to a man we all felt privileged to know.

Rest in Peace Terry and Rise in Glory.