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Col. Edward Thomas Ryan of Albany passed away June 1st
at the age of 85 on the first day of Pride, but before he died he wrote a
message to his loved ones: “I was Gay all my life.” The decorated Army veteran earned
a number of prestigious medals throughout his military career and was brother
to Rosemary, Cornelius, Joan, Bernadette, and Joseph Ryan, and was a beloved
uncle to several nieces and nephews. But all his life he kept that secret; his family says he was
just a very private person. But Colonel Ryan decided not to take the secret to
his grave, and wrote a message for his obituary, finally coming out to the
world as gay and telling everyone he knew about the man he would be buried next
to: Paul Cavagnaro. Ryan and Cavagnaro
met at some point in his life and enjoyed a 25-year-long relationship, even
though he kept his romantic life a secret until he wrote: “I must tell you one more thing. I was Gay all my life: thru grade school, thru High School, thru College, thru Life.” He went on to tell them about Paul, and how he died in 1994 due to a medical
procedure gone wrong, before saying it was his wish to be laid to rest next to
his love. “I was in a loving and caring relationship with Paul Cavagnaro of North Greenbush. He was the love of my life. We had 25 great years together … I’ll be buried next to Paul.” In his parting
message to his loved ones, Ryan said he didn’t have the courage to reveal his
sexuality in the past because he was afraid of being treated the way others
like him were treated:
Over the course of his 85 years of life, Ryan served
with the Army’s 10th Brigade and received honors including the National Defense
Service Medal, the Defense of Liberty Medal "For participation to the
State following the attack on America, on 11 September 2001," the
Conspicuous Service Medal and Commanders Citation for "Service Above and
Beyond the Call" from the division of Military and Naval affairs. He was
also a retired firefighter and chairman of the Vietnam Veterans/Agent Orange
Committee for the American Legion; he was co-owner of local radio station
WHRL-FM in Albany and was also a chef at the East Greenbush American Legion
Post #1231. Colonel Ryan donated his body to the Anatomical Gift Program
at Albany Medical College, which would allow med students to study using his
body though eventually, his body will be cremated and buried beside Paul’s
grave. His nephew Joseph Ryan said the family knew about his
relationship with Paul though they didn’t really talk about it: “They would go on vacation. Once he did retire, he would take a month off, and they would just put down where they wanted to go, any place in the world. So, we kind of knew, but he wasn’t one that would come right out and say anything … Our family isn’t one that tries to say anything about people. He was quiet, but he was bold. It’s been inside him all this time.” The family sees the significance in Ryan’s coming out during Pride Month, a time for celebrating the LGBTQ+ community’s history, achievements, and ongoing fight for equality and acceptance. A number of comments poured in after Colonel Ryan’s obituary
was posted:
This is why we fight and march and celebrate Pride and stand up and speak up. We do it for people like Colonel Ryan. Thank you for your service, fighting
for a country that made you feel you couldn’t be yourself. Rest in Pride. The march goes on ... |
Showing posts with label Colonel Edward Thomas Ryan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colonel Edward Thomas Ryan. Show all posts
Monday, June 17, 2024
This Is Why We March: "Now that my secret is known, I'll forever Rest in Peace."
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