Roll Call Tribute

David Wayne Ryan

September 15, 1953 - March 21, 2023

David Wayne Ryan, age 69, of Lubbock, TX, passed away on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

David was born September 15, 1953, to Don and Emma (Clark) Ryan in Houston, TX. His family moved from the Brazos River Valley to Nacogdoches County where he started school. The family eventually settled with their dairy, north of Douglass, TX on what is affectionately known as “The Farm”. David attended school in Douglass and graduated from high school in Nacogdoches. He attended San Jacinto Junior College in Houston while working as an instrument technician in the refineries.

David then moved to College Station, TX and very proudly attended Texas A&M University where he earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1978. He worked as an instrumentation engineer and in engineering sales for Honeywell which brought him to Lubbock, TX. He met and married Mary Pape on December 19, 1982. They moved from Lubbock to El Paso, TX. In 1984 he took a job with Lockheed Martin at White Sands Test Facility testing guidance rockets for NASA. Over the years David returned to his roots in the dairy industry, eventually building a 1,000-cow dairy near Clovis, NM. In 2004, David was given the opportunity to embark on the adventure of his life as a mechanical engineer for a DOD contractor on an American base in Iraq. After a year in that position, he became Site Manager and remained there for an additional three years. In 2008, he returned to the States and he and Mary retired to Lubbock.

Mr. Ryan is survived by his wife, Mary; daughter, Rebecca Swedlund, her children Jacob (Micah), Haley, and Emma; son, Benjamin Ryan; son, Matthew (Amy) Varnell and their children Breanna, Emily, and Kellen; daughter, Micah (Curtis) Collins and their children Mary Alyce, Korynne, Hudson, and Camilla; sister, Beverly (Jackie) Collins; brother, Jerry (Donna Gay) Ryan; along with numerous brothers and sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, and a brother, Robert Ryan.

The family will host a gathering of family and friends from 6pm until 8pm on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at Lake Ridge Chapel. A service to celebrate his life is scheduled at 10am on Monday, March 27, 2023, at Lake Ridge Chapel followed by a graveside service at City of Lubbock Cemetery. 

The family suggests memorial donations to the Neema Village, P.O. Box 21553, Waco, TX 76702 in his memory.