RYAN, Michael Anthony Ryan - March 31, 1964 – January 21, 2022
Blue Line Taxi driver Mike Ryan was a smart, hard-working entrepreneur, beloved by his family and friends and admired by professional colleagues.
“He was a glider pilot,” his daughter Jacqueline Ryan says proudly.
“He actually met our mom Linda, at the Kawartha Soaring Club in Omemee in 1981.
They loved each other so much, in so many ways they were meant for each other.”
Jacqueline, 20, notes that Mike Ryan’s background as a glider pilot made him a particularly good driving teacher, as he taught both she and her twin brother Davis to drive only a few years ago.
“We were all together, the three of us in the car,” she recalls. “He had some very specific things he wanted to make sure we both learned: first, keep your distance from the car ahead of you. Second, try to predict what the worst driver might do, and be prepared for it. Third, braking needs to be gauged by acceleration. It changes with the situation.”
The Ryan family and a lifetime’s worth of Mike Ryan’ friends are grieving his sudden loss in a senseless homicide which took place in downtown Oshawa on January 21st.
“Dad went to high school at Senator O’Connor in North York, and he had the same group of a half dozen friends since he was 14 years old. They remained close over all of the years; in fact, when we were kids growing up, we cottaged with them and their families many summers. We had so much fun together! My family really appreciates their support now.”
“My fondest memories with my dad were in elementary school, when I would come downstairs early in the morning just to lay down and rest with him a little longer before school,” his son Davis recalls. “He would lay completely out on the couch, and my sister and I would sit behind his legs and be completely enclosed by the couch arm, cushions and him.
“We always played video games together too, he made sure to have the latest systems for us, and himself at the end of the day. We loved playing with him.” Says Linda, “My fondest memories with Michael were all the times he made me laugh throughout the years I knew him. We could talk together about absolutely anything - we never ran out of things to talk about.
“He could make me laugh until I cried with his jokes, he was effortlessly funny. “Mike always tried to teach me to have a positive outlook in life; he was so kind to everyone. He was so good with the kids as babies, he was such a good father to our children. He worked closely with me in caring for them in every manner.” Jacqueline is currently studying at Queen’s University while her brother Davis is at Durham College. Mike Ryan was proud and supportive of their career plans and goals.
“Dad was a true entrepreneur, he loved business,” Jacqueline says. “Over his lifetime he ran a demolition business, a finance service, and later he was in the Taxi business. He was so good with people – a natural salesman.”
In fact, Blue Line Taxi, where Mike provided Accessible Taxi services, notes that in the five years he was with them, they never received a customer complaint. “Lots of compliments,” says Sarah Gordon of Blue Line, “but there was not a single complaint in his file.”
Not surprisingly, Mike Ryan believed communications skills were of paramount importance to his kids in life, and he urged them to put effort into important conversations.
“Even if I had something to gripe about, he encouraged me to be clear about what I wanted, to make the communication worthwhile,” Jacqueline recalls. “He truly believed these things were important. He wanted us to work at it.”
She says she will always look back on and cherish the time she had with her Dad and how he motivated her.
“He would always compliment us, when we did something well, he wanted us to be confident,” she says. “He never missed a chance to encourage us.”
Visitation will be held at the OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234) on Friday, February 4th from 4 – 7 p.m. To attend visitation please use the following link: https://signup.com/go/DnOpnxe
Funeral Service will be held in the chapel on Saturday, February 5th at 10:30 a.m. To attend the service please use the following link: https://signup.com/go/aRnFwwh
For those unable to attend the service please join in using the livestream link: https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/45507
Interment at Resurrection Cemetery.
Memorial donations to GoFundMe for Family at_https://www.gofundme.com/f/fatal-oshawa-taxi-shooting?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer would be appreciated.
Online condolences may be made at oshawafuneralhome.com .
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