William “John” Ryan, age 77, of Greenbrier, went to be with his precious Lord and Savior Jesus on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at his home. Graveside services will be conducted at 2:15pm Saturday, April 4th at the Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery, 6264 Hopewell Road, Springfield, TN 37172. The funeral procession will depart the funeral home, for the cemetery, at 1:45pm.
The family will receive friends from 11am until 1pm Saturday, at the Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield.
John was born, May 28, 1948, in Chicago, IL, in the suburb Mt. Prospect, to the late William John Ryan, and the late Marie Elizabeth Fehrenbacher Ryan. He was a man of strong Christian faith who made it a mission to tell others about Jesus. A gifted product engineer and founder of the companies Ryan Audio and Mystery Electronics, John was the inventor of the Floor Box, a now essential product for the audio visual industry. John enjoyed playing guitar for family and pedal steel guitar in his younger years. A self-taught polymath, he was a wealth of knowledge about many things including acoustics, electricity, engineering, mechanical musical instruments, pipe organ building, and music of all kinds. An avid model train enthusiast, he captured the rich history of locomotives and the era of steam. He was a member of the Carousel Organ Association of America, the Steel Guitar Forum, The Tennessee Central Railway Museum, and various professional organizations, as well as a former member of the Nashville Fellowship of Christian Magicians, with an emphasis on clowning for Christian ministry. John loved to work with tools and always enjoyed fixing anything for those he loved. He also enjoyed time on his tractor caring for his rural home where he loved hosting epic fourth of July family gatherings.
John is survived by his wife: Debra “Debbie” Anne Long Ryan of Greenbrier, by his sons: Peter Thomas Ryan and wife Jeanna of Springfield, and Andy Long Ryan of Nashville, by his daughters: Heather Marie (Ryan) Perry and husband Michael of Mt. Juliet, and Meagan Velma Ryan of Nashville, by his grandchildren: Ava Elizabeth Ryan, Noah Andrew Ryan, Cora Paige Ryan, McKenna Anne Ryan, Abigail Ryan, Claire Ryan, Preston Ryan, Royal Ryan, and Amanda Kate Breeden, by his brother: Thomas Charles Ryan and wife Charlotte of Franklin, and by his sister: Patricia Ryan Holland of Grain Valley, Missouri, as well as many dearly loved nieces and nephews.
Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield is in charge of these arrangements.
AUSTIN & BELL FUNERAL HOME-
509 WALNUT STREET, SPRINGFIELD, TN (615) 384-1000.
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This obituary was published by Austin & Bell Funeral Home Springfield.
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