Sherman Ryan Sr.

Sherman Howard Ryan Sr. passed away April 27, 2022 in Brush, Colorado.  He was born on 9/4/1928 in Salt Lake City, Utah to John Douglas and Mildred Harriet (Dunyon) Ryan, the youngest of three children. He attended and graduated from Granite High School in 1946.  Sherman married Joyce Annette Desmond on 4/12/1953 in Ethete, Wyoming.

Sherman served in the U.S. Marine Corps, Signal Battalion A Company during the Korean conflict. He began his career as a telephone lineman for Mountain Bell in 1951 and was quickly promoted to Exchange Manager in Kemmerer, Wyoming and then transferred to Evanston, Wyoming.  He converted the telephone system to “DIAL” in 1965.  In 1980 he was transferred to Cheyenne, Wyoming and worked as a Network Manager. He retired in 1983, finishing his 32-year telephone career with US West.  He was a member of the Evanston Lions Club, Telephone Pioneers and American Legion Post 6.

Sherman was raised on a ranch in Milford, Utah and grew up loving the outdoors. He loved hunting, fishing, snow skiing, snow mobiling, traveling in his RV, metal detecting, panning for gold and making wine. He could tear apart anything and put it back together. He had every nut and bolt available for his many projects.  He loved taking his family and friends to the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade, rodeos, and concerts.  A highlight was watching the cattle drive bringing the steers from along I-25 through the city streets into Frontier Park. After retiring, he took up golf and loved playing with his family and good friend, Gene Nelson.

He is survived by brother John Douglas Ryan of Gig Harbor, Washington, son Sherman Howard (Dana) Ryan Jr. of Puerto Penesco, Mexico, and daughter Sheri Joy Johnson of Fort Morgan, Colorado, grandchildren Shaun Michael Ryan, Tristin Nicole Penland, Kristopher Ryan Johnson, and Gregory Wayne (Shondel) Johnson, and four beautiful great-grandchildren who adored him.  He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, sister Virginia Catherine Clark and husband Harry William Clark, sister-in-law “Jo” Jewel Joann Ryan and son-in-law, Kris Arthur Johnson. A private ceremony will take place.