Christopher Ryan

July 24, 1951 - August 8, 2022

Mr Ryan taught biology and physiology at SPHS from 1974 - 1977

Christopher passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 71years. He was supported by his loving family, including his companion, Valerie Ryan, his five children (Chris Jr ‘88, Katie ‘91, Peter ‘05, Claire ‘06 and Shannon ‘06) and their loving spouses, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in passing by Elise Warfel Ryan '78, his sister Virginia Ryan '83, his parents John and Rita Ryan, and a grandson.

Chris was a devout Catholic, a reflective thinker, a lifelong Dodgers fan, an enthusiastic camper and a prolific gardener of orchids, succulents and staghorn ferns. He possessed a larger-than-life personality and left an indelible impact on everyone from clerks in the grocery store to the dozens of surrogate kids he adopted. He was a lover of restoring old, 1930s Southern California Craftsmen homes and also a keen intellectual who thought deeply about obscure matters of spirituality, literature, philosophy, and morality. He could talk your ear off about the Fall of Rome, Jackie Robinson or the right paint color for a living room. He founded Christopher Ryan Wallcovering and Paint in 1976, providing restoration of Craftsman-style homes for 46 years.

Born at Hamilton Air Force Base in Novato, California, Chris moved along with his siblings Mary ‘71, Bernie, Kathleen ‘75, Ann ‘76, and Virginia ‘83 to Southern California at a young age. He attended Holy Family School and SPHS and went on to graduate from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in 1973. Upon graduation from college, Chris returned to SPHS to teach biology and physiology from 1974 - 1977. He described teaching high school students as the most fulfilling time of his life. He was a hands-on teacher who engaged in unconventional teaching practices such as baking cookies with cockroaches and ants in them to get his students' attention.

Chris loved everything outdoors and everything about the earth around him and instilled a love of the outdoors in his entire family. At home he kept a coterie of snakes, fish, mice, lizards, rats, parakeets, cats and dogs. He cultivated a wall of staghorn ferns, multiple greenhouses, a courtyard laden with bougainvillea, patios covered in cacti and fruit trees and an entire multi-acre hillside with natural wildlife. He was the kind of dad who built a tree house for his kids. He was an admirer of trees.

Chris will be missed and remembered by those who loved him.