Edward L. Ryan

Born: March 26, 1920
Died: July 25, 1997
Buried: St. Agnes Cemetery

One of seven siblings born to Charles and Esther Ryan, Eddie Ryan made his debut on March 26, 1920 in Island Falls. His was a hard-working family, and much of his childhood was spent during the years of the Great Depression. He, like many of his generation, learned about work at an early age. This work ethic stayed with him.

In June of 1940, Eddie married Florence Mary Springer at St. Agnes Church. He went to work on a crew hauling logs that had been cut near what is now VaJoWa Golf Course. The logs were hauled by truck across the ice on Mattawamkeag Lake, Ed riding on the running board. For a time, he worked for Great Northern Paper Co. for $.50 a day. He also worked for local farmers during this time.

He entered the military, joining the US Army and ending up in the Air Force. During basic training, he was at first assigned to be in the ball turret, a cramped enclosure below the belly of the aircraft, but ended up being trained as a mechanic. He was later sent to Japan and served there from 1944-1946.

Meanwhile, back in Maine, the couple’s family was growing. By the late 40’s, Eddie and Florence had four sons, and a daughter would join them a few years later. They lived first in what is now the MacKenzie home on Sherman Street, then moved to the house across the road that had belonged to Florence’s family.

At the close of the war, Ed returned home and, under the GI Bill, was employed in a garage in Smyrna Mills. When he finished that program, he went to work in the woods with his father. On one job, the crew was rafting logs from Sand Cove across Pleasant Pond to the landing by the Lane Homestead. It was a homemade raft, made from metal barrels, pushed by an outboard boat and motor. One of the motors still rests on the bottom of the Pond. Eddie returned to his career as a mechanic, working in an autobody shop in Houlton and later in Lincoln. In Lincoln, he lived above the garage during the week, returning home for weekends.

In the mid 50’s, Eddie became the operator of the Brick Garage on Main Street, which was owned at the time by Dead River Company. The building had once been the home of the Island Falls Motor Company. He and his sons ran this for 15 years. The garage was open seven days a week, often until 8:00 pm. It was closed for only one day in those 15 years. In 1970, Eddie began another chapter, this time re-opening a garage on the Emerson farm on Barker Ridge. He remained there for 20 years, retiring in 1990.

During these years, Ed found time to serve his community in several ways. He was a member of the VFW, Big Valley Snowmobile Club, Volunteer Fire Department, Fish and Game Club, and served on the Board of Directors of Woodland Heights. He was a communicant of St. Agnes Catholic Church where he and his siblings added their musical talents to the choir.

In retirement, Eddie continued one of his favorite pastimes, golfing. He helped out at VaJoWa for several years. When he passed away in 1997, he left behind a legacy of dedication and service to his community.