Daniel "Dan" John Ryan

Dan Ryan, 83 years old, passed away on November 19, 2024, after a long and hard-fought battle with COPD.

Dan is preceded in death by his adoring mother, Loraine (Gillespie) Ryan; nephew, Brenndan Thomas Ryan; beloved uncle, Kye, who was the most important father figure in his young life; stepson, Peter (Kelly) Kowal; and very good life-long friend, Jimmy Macken.

Dan is survived by the love of his life and wife, DeNae; two daughters, Shannon (Dan) Young and Courtney (Tracy) Paulseth; stepdaughter, Christie Tanner; brother, Patrick (Martha) Ryan; sister, Margaret Ann (Steve) Ryan Reiter; brother, Tom (MaryAnn) Ryan; his incredibly supportive mother-in-law, Donna Schimke; sisters-in-law, Dodi (Chuck) Wiesz and Darcy (Gerald) Hatlestad; grandchildren, Hannah Young, Erin Young; step grandchildren, Haley Paulseth and Sydney Felix; nieces and nephews, Brian Strapp, Katie Ryan, Daniel (Bryana) Ryan, Colleen (Matt) Browne, Mike Ryan, Brenton (Courtney) Wiesz, Dylan Wiesz, Brittni Hatlestad and Jasmyn Hatlestad; special grandniece and nephew, Tucker and Kennedy Wiesz.

Dan was born in Frederick, Wisconsin in 1941 to Loraine and Cyril (Pete) Ryan. He was the oldest of 4 children living most of his childhood in Anchorage, Alaska and Rochester, Minnesota. As a young man, he enjoyed playing baseball. He would have liked to play baseball all day every day if he could, ultimately winning the Little League baseball championship in Alaska.  He often said that he was always the poorest kid in the class, so he earned money selling newspapers on the street corners in Alaska for 3 cents a paper.  Often, he would hire his brother Pat to be his assistant. On a good day, the two of them could sell 50 papers.

Dan also overcame many challenges as a young man.  He was a fierce defender of the underdog, a fighter and a protector of all who were deserving, which often got him into trouble.  He once found himself in a street fight with a known bully.  He suffered an injury preventing him from finishing the fight, so his friends finished the job.  When standing before the judge, instead of telling on his friends, he spent the summer of 1957 in Redwing Reformatory where his street smarts and loyalty paid off.  He attended John Marshall High School in Rochester, Minnesota where he excelled at basketball and football.  After high school, he attended Rochester Technical College for 2 years and then served in the Navy as an airman on the USS Forrestal as part of the Viking Company. He was a fire fighter and flight technician on the launch deck and was proud of his Navy service to his country.

Dan married Beverly Bellig in 1965 and has two adoring daughters, Shannon and Courtney. He cherished the time he spent with his girls, going on fishing trips to Canada, camping, attending Twins games both home and away in Kansas City, and checking off his lifelong bucket list dream to repeat a train ride from Minneapolis to Seattle.

Dan was a successful salesman for Lindsey Brothers, ultimately advancing to become a business, property and landowner until he retired at the age of 55. Dan was incredibly humble, feeling that his success was just plain luck. In reality, his work ethic, charisma, and relationships that he built over his many years in business, resulted in his success. In retirement, he enjoyed volunteering for Boys and Girls Club, Senior Services, and Rotary among many others.

Dan traveled to over 15 countries and enjoyed many family vacations over the years. He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying golf, many hunting trips with his youngest brother and best friend, Tom. He loved spending time with his dear friends hunting geese in Canada, pheasants in North Dakota, deer on his land near Rushford, MN, and fishing trips with family and friends. He enjoyed bantering and the frequent visits, with coffee and donuts with his sister, Margie. He absolutely loved to tease her!

In 2014, he married the one true love of his life, DeNae Schimke where they lived out most of their married lives in Bemidji, Minnesota. It was this loving relationship and the beautiful home they shared that gave Dan the desire and will to fight his disease. He was always grateful for the loving care of DeNae and for the beauty of nature and wildlife around their home. He looked for a cure for COPD until his dying day, never wanting to give up the chance to spend more time with his wife and family. At the time of his death, he was surrounded in love by his wife, 5 Ryan women, brother Tom, and those in thought and prayer, just as he wanted and deserved. Those that love him know that he is now taking deep breaths of the freshest air and cheering for the Vikings and the Twins with a loud and powerful voice. 

A Celebration of the Irish Warrior Life that Dan led will be held at Northern Peace Funeral Home in Walker, Minnesota on Saturday, December 7, 2024, with a visitation at 1:00 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 2:00 p.m., with military honors accorded by the Spencer Ross American Legion Post #134 Honor Guard.

Dan’s care has been entrusted to Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker, MN. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.northernpeace.com  

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