OBITUARY: Accomplished Space Industry Veteran Edward Ryan of Merritt Island Passed Away at 72

Edward retired after 44 years in the Space Industry

In 2002 Edward won NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Honoree award for his work as an Astronaut Trainer, and in 2012 he won the coveted NASA Silver Snoopy Award for training 103 Space Shuttle Flight Crews out of the overall 135 Shuttle missions.

BREVARD COUNTY • MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA – Edward N. Ryan Jr. (MSgt USAF, Retired) began a new journey with the grace of God, on May 4, 2022, at Cape Canaveral Hospital. Edward was an American Patriot who loved his country, his community, his family, and his occupation. Edward was married to Judith Rea (Capehart) Ryan (deceased), whom he cherished for 31 years.

Edward was born on October 18, 1949, the son of Charlotte Toerpe Ryan (deceased) and Edward Nelson Ryan (deceased) of Ridgewood, N.J. Edward lived in Ridgewood, New Jersey until the age of 15, when the family moved to Merritt Island, Florida. Edward served as a Combat Engineer in the United States Army from 1966 to 1969 and completed tours of duty in east Asia.

In 1970 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a Missile Maintenance Technician (Titan II ICBM) and completed his technical education at Sheppard AFB, Texas. He was stationed at Vandenberg AFB, CA., 1970 to 1977, McConnell AFB, KS., 1977 to 1985, and Grissom AFB, IN., 1985 until his retirement from the Air Force in 1987.

He relocated back to Merritt Island in 1987 and worked as a Technical Training Instructor at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. In 1992 Edward achieved the title of Certified Environmental Trainer, one of only a handful of people to receive this designation in Florida and the only one in the NASA system.

In 2000, he won the Trainer of the Year award presented by the National Environmental Training Association. In 2002 he won NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Honoree award for his work as an Astronaut Trainer, and in 2012 he won the coveted Silver Snoopy Award from NASA’s Astronaut Corp. for training 103 Space Shuttle Flight Crews out of the overall 135 Shuttle missions.

In December of 2012, He retired after 25 years of service to the agency, and 44 years of experience in the Space Industry, as the Manager of the Training Contractor for the Kennedy Space Center.

After his retirement, he continued to serve the Space Industry as a Docent at the Kennedy Space Center and as a consultant to NASA on issues of Technical Training. Mr. Ryan was an author of the novel “Reach,” which won critical acclaim.

He was also proficient in photography, which he developed later in his life. His Children survive Mr. Ryan; Jerald Anthony Filichia of Cocoa, Florida; Pamela Marie Murg of Port St. John, Florida; Michael Dee Ryan of Honea Path, SC; fifteen grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center, 400 South Sykes Creek Parkway, Merritt Island, FL 32952 at 1 p.m.to 4 p.m. on May 27.

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