Obituary for Thmas Richard "Tom" Ryan

Thomas Richard "Tom" Ryan
1922-2011

 
Abilene Reporter-News

Thomas Richard "Tom" Ryan, renowned western cowboy artist, left his earthly home on Saturday, December 10, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 89 years, 10 months, 28 days. A funeral service celebrating his life will be held 2:00 p.m., December 16, 2011, at First Baptist Church in Stamford with Rev. Cody Cochran officiating. Tom will be laid to rest next to his wife, Jacquie in Willow Cemetery, Haskell under the care and direction of Kinney-Underwood Funeral Home in Stamford.

Thomas Richard Ryan was born on January 12, 1922, in Springfield, Illinois, the son of the late William Martin and Sarah (Berends) Ryan. He served in the South Pacific with the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and after receiving an honorable discharge, Tom married Jacqueline Ruth "Jacquie" Harvey in 1946. They were proud parents to three children, Tom, Jr., Mark, and Kitsie. Jacquie preceded Tom in death in 1998.

Tom's talent as an artist began at an early age, as he would sketch his friends. Tom studied at the Chicago Institute of Art and finished his schooling at the Art Students League in New York. After his marriage to Jacquie, he began working as an artist in an advertising agency and doing free lance work. Tom and his two boys began making frequent trips to Texas in 1958, looking at and admiring the country he was painting. Norman Rockwell recommended the work of Tom Ryan to Brown and Bigelow as a potential artist for their western calendars in 1963. In the fall of 1963, he began visiting the 6666 Ranch at Guthrie and there began his long love of painting the countryside and cowboys. Tom spent many days going to roundups and living alongside the cowboys of the 6666's. In 1964, Tom became strictly a western artist. Many of Ryan's paintings are of the 6666 chuck wagon and long-time foreman of the 6666's, George Humphreys. He moved his family from Springfield to Lubbock in 1967 and then to the community of Stamford, Texas in 1973.

In 1974, he helped to found the famous Stamford Art Foundation which is still held annually in conjunction with the Texas Cowboy Reunion. Since that time, Tom's paintings have appeared in such places as Cattleman's Magazine, Life Magazine, Western Horseman, Southwestern Art Scene Magazine and the large distribution of calendars produced by Brown and Bigelow. Paintings such as "Sharing an Apple" and "Sixty Years in the Saddle" are on display in the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Tom Ryan has been a member of the Cowboy Artists of America since 1966 and was considered one of the top western artists for many years winning numerous awards.

Preceding Tom in death were his parents; his wife; and a son, Tom Ryan, Jr.
Left to cherish his memory are children, Mark Ryan and wife Julie of Scottsdale, Arizona, Kitsie Drinnon and husband Ricky of Haskell; 10 grandchildren, Aaron Ryan Merritt, Thomas Ryan III, Sarah Ryan, Ruth Ryan Ray, Stephanie Ryan, Eric Ryan, Clayton Ryan, Steven Ryan, Ryan Olson, Jaclyn Drinnon Rosbrugh; and 17 great grandchildren.
The family requests memorials be sent to the Haley Memorial Library, 1805 W. Indiana Avenue, Midland, Texas 79701 or National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73111.
Online condolences may be made at
www.kinneyunderwoodfuneralhome.com
 

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(Obituary submitted by Steve Munday)
 

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