Ryan M. McCann, 24, was taken from us unexpectedly on July 29, 2011. Ryan is the son of Michael and Melissa McCann, of Port Jervis, the brother of Cassandra, Nicole, Joshua, and Cody of Port Jervis, and the father of the beautiful Bryanna McCann and, yes, he snuck his name into hers somehow. He was our devilishly charming, steel-blue eyed, impulsive, wondrously kind-hearted, son, brother, and daddy. You left us without saying goodbye and we miss you tremendously.
He is survived by his family, at home; his grandparents, Harry (Brud) and Elizabeth Lynch, of Port Jervis, William McCann and Nancy Fine-McCann, of Broadway, VA., and Peter Osborne, of Easton, PA; great aunt, Joan Donahue of Port Jervis; aunts and uncles, Susan and Jack Scully, of Eldred, William and Sandy Lynch, of Prunedale, CA, Mary Grace Carlton, of Port Jervis, Patty and Brendan Hess, of Port Jervis, Tom and Gina McCann, of Port Jervis, and Megan McCann, of Broadway, VA; his companion, Kasey Ouellette, of Glen Spey; and numerous cousins and friends. He was predeceased by his special aunt, Marie Perkowski, his uncle, Michael Carlton, and his grandmother, Janis (McCann) Osborne. I’m certain Ryan and Uncle Mike are flying down Aunt Re’s hill on a sled, Aunt Re’s inside making hot chocolate and Grandma J’s writing it all down to work it into the plot of the next Great American novel she’s writing.
Ryan attended Trinity Catholic School through the 6th grade, St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School, and Port Jervis High School, where he graduated in 2005. He received a certificate in Basic Residential Electricity from Orange Ulster BOCES, and was last employed at Summit Research Labs in Huguenot, New York. He attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Port Jervis where he served as an altar boy, and received his first communion and his confirmation.
Always the inquisitive child, Ryan started out his school career at the age of 5 by pulling the fire alarm to see what it did. He found out quickly when all of the fire trucks arrived. It was the start of a long and lovely relationship with principal Carol Doll, who gave him the honesty award at his 6th grade graduation for always owning up to his mischief. His eyes were as blue as the sky and sparkled whenever he laughed, which we all did when he’d spin one of his grandiose tales. He always had a plan, or a scheme, or an angle that was going to be his ticket to getting out of here and making a better life for himself and his baby girl.
Always the impulsive child, he could run like the wind and often did. Sesame Place, Times Square, Disney World, our house, it didn’t matter, when the train stopped, Ryan jumped off, with or without us. He was kind to a fault and his heart was as bottomless as the ocean. He would do anything for anyone that he thought was his friend (which was pretty much everyone). He always remembered everyone’s birthday (and Christmas) and always found a way to give everyone a gift, even when he wasn’t really able to. He got the clerk to throw in the vase for the chocolate roses for Grandma’s birthday, and negotiated a package price for all 20 roses rather than pay for each one individually.
He loved a family party, and never failed to be the gracious host. His birthdays were a week long event, or so it seemed. One of our favorite memories are of the bread and butter hors d’oeuvres that Ryan painstakingly made and served to everyone at a family Christmas party at the age of about 7. I’m also fairly certain that was about the time he played what is locally the best “Fritz” the Nutcracker has ever seen.
He adored his mother and he was her boy. And he WAS a boy. He would walk across the top of the swing set 10 feet in the air as if it were a tightrope at the circus. To him it was a four lane highway and he was strolling down the middle of it, no fear, not a care in the world. His kindergarten teacher told us he would jump from desktop to desktop to desktop. They were the one-piece, combo desk/chairs that would topple over if you put too many books on them let alone a moving child. He never missed a step or a desktop, landing safely on the other side of the room on an unfortunately regular basis. He was like lightning in a hockey rink, and when he did fall down, his mom always kissed his skinned knees, bandaged his cuts, gave him a hug and a kiss, and forgave him for cross-checking. Ryan, we love you and we hope you’ve found peace.
Friends may visit Tuesday, August 2 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 East Main Street, Port Jervis, New York, and are asked, if they would like, to bring a short note, reflection, happy memory or thought of Ryan and/or a small personal item to be included in a memory box for the family. Prayers will be offered at 9:15 am Wednesday, August 3 at the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, 46 Ball Street, Port Jervis, New York, with Rev. George Hafemann officiating.
Interment will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Port Jervis, New York.
Donations may be made to the family, c/o Michael McCann, 25 Main Street, Goshen, New York 10924, for the benefit of Bryanna’s education.
Arrangements are by Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 East Main Street, Port Jervis, New York. For directions, information or to send a condolence note to the family please visit knight-auchmoody.com
