TOWAMENCIN – Don Ryan, known by most of his North Penn family as “Doc,” passed away on January 18th, at the age of 84.
THE FULL TEXT OF DOC’S OBITUARY IS BELOW:
For many generations of student-athletes and coaches who passed through North Penn High School, it became a daily ritual to see “Doc” standing in the sports lobby after school- shirt and tie, suspenders, arms folded, and a reassuring smile and nod. “Hello Coach… Alright, alright…” “Alllriiight, big one today- go get ’em!” For his good friends, while out at a local restaurant such as The Sumney, for dinner it was known that he always loved a good meatloaf and mashed potato meal or maybe some chicken croquettes. To a large community of people, there is no name more synonymous with North Penn than Donald C. “Doc” Ryan. For 46 years of employment and then another decade afterward, in retirement, his passion for North Penn, his love for sports, his belief in young people, and his ubiquitous presence at sporting events makes it no hyperbole to attach to his name the term legendary. Donald Ryan, friend to many, proud grandfather, loving husband, stalwart in suspenders, and iconic North Penn HS Athletic Director from 1981-2015, passed away peacefully on January 18, at the age of 84.
Doc rarely forgot a name or face. The door to his office was quite literally always open to current student-athletes and coaches and to the many alumni who returned to visit. Doc was very happy to see all the growth and success of those who returned to say hello, and people were always happy to see Doc. He was the picture of steadiness in a long winter coat and cap on the cold sidelines of a football game in Crawford Stadium. He was comfortable in a polo shirt, with his legs crossed in a lawn chair, next to his wife Nancy, on a warm summer night at a Legion baseball game. In these places he formed the backdrop of comfort and stability for all involved in those sometimes stressful athletic contests.
Don was a first generation American in his family. His parents immigrated from Scotland in 1926. He was born in 1940 and was raised on Delaware Avenue in Lansdale, and then graduated from North Penn High School in 1958. For some years after graduation, he would walk from the Pennbrook train station to North Penn HS where he served as an athletic trainer for several sports. He also worked for local Stewart’s Sporting Goods, a job that would pave the way for his many duties in negotiating and ordering equipment in his days as Athletic Director. Don went on to serve honorably in the United States Army and returned home to officially begin his career at North Penn High School in 1969 as an athletic trainer and assistant to the athletic director. He coached American Legion Baseball for several years for both Hatfield Legion and Lansdale Legion. Of all sports, he truly loved baseball, including the Phillies and, of course, North Penn Knights Baseball. One day at North Penn HS during a baseball game in the 70s a player was injured, and Coach Carl Giuranna walked out onto the field, looked around and said, “Doc, get Doc!” and the nickname “Doc” stuck ever since.
1981 became a banner year for Doc, as he was not only named North Penn High School’s third Athletic Director, but it was also the year he really made his best career move and married Nancy. Doc became Nancy’s assistant coach in life for the next 44 years. In his career as AD, a position he held until his retirement in 2015, he gained generations of friends, but in his marriage, he would gain not only a wonderful and supportive wife, but also three very special young people – his grandsons, James, Kyle, and David. Doc enjoyed watching his grandsons play sports, even if they did play for the “other” high school across town, Lansdale Catholic. Doc was happy that when his grandsons were in high school, North Penn never played against LC in football, where James suited up for the Crusaders. He also enjoyed watching his grandsons play other sports with Kyle playing ice hockey and David playing lacrosse, and he supported them in everything they did.
In his 46 years with North Penn, Doc watched teams participate in over 3,000 athletic contests. North Penn was not just a job; it, too, was his family.
Since 1981-82, he proudly provided support to the coaches and athletes who won 33 Bux-Mont League and 219 Suburban One Championships and 33 team PIAA State Championships, plus numerous individual PIAA Championships.
Under his leadership, Sports Illustrated recognized North Penn High School twice as the #1 High School Athletic Program in Pennsylvania and one of the 40 top high school Athletic Programs in the United States.
He served as chairman of the Montgomery County All Star Football Game in 1981 and 1982. He was recognized as the NP Elks Club Man of the Year for being committed to the youth of North Penn. He received the North Penn Education Association – Nice People Award – for Outstanding Contribution to Public Schools in the North Penn Community. Doc was also President in 1999 and 2000 of the North Penn –Souderton Area Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the North Penn Alumni Athletic Association Hall of Fame, The North Penn Baseball Knights of Fame, and the North Penn School District Knights of Honor Hall of Fame.
When Doc retired in 2015, it was not exactly a goodbye. He was at North Penn almost as much as before he retired, getting to all the home football and baseball games and some softball and basketball games as well. He was very pleased with how nice the Crawford Stadium renovation turned out, and would frequently stop by the athletic office and was proud to see how well Bill Bartle, Don Walsh, and Kyler Berger have carried on the North Penn Athletic Department.
His longtime Athletics Secretary Linda Law said of Doc, “He was a kind and gentle man, with a big heart for students and athletics. He was always North Penn proud.” Former assistant Athletic Director Melanie Seeders fondly remembers how much Doc taught her about patience, and, specifically, always waiting for a bit to return an email or phone call in a tense situation. And in an interview with suburbanonesports.com, Doc said: “We have a good coaching staff. When parents come in and complain about play calling or who’s playing – that’s a coach’s decision. I may not agree and someone else might do something different, but that’s the coach’s decision. Neither myself or the principal or the superintendent will tell the coaches who to play or what to play. That’s their decision. That’s why we hire them.”
Doc will be deeply missed by his family and friends. But his kindness, his patience, his authenticity, and his light blue shirt, navy blue tie, and classic suspenders will live on forever.
Don was preceded in death by his parents Rebecca Jaffray Ryan and William Ryan, and his brother William Ryan. He is survived by his wife Nancy Ryan, his son Mark Macy and his wife Anne of Lansdale and their three sons James, Kyle and David; son Dan Macy and his wife Judy, of Hatfield; his nephew Jim and his wife Sara of Telford, their two daughters Jen, Tracy and her husband Riley and their daughters Rosa and Vicki; his niece Kelly and her husband Tom and their children Erin and Will of Lexington, KY.
The family will receive friends from 9:30 A.M. until 10:45 A.M. Friday, January 24, 2025 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1000 W Main St, Lansdale, PA 19446, with Funeral Services at 11:00 A.M. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Donald C. Ryan’s name can be made to The North Penn Alumni Athletic Association, PO Box 22, Lansdale, PA, 19446.
Rest in peace, Doc. The games will never be the same without you, but we know you will be watching, as you always have – now from the best seat in the house.