At a time on the football calendar when his work for the Bills was most appreciated, long-time college scout Bob Ryan passed away suddenly in Hawaii on March 11. The Buffalo Bills organization with great sadness notified league personnel and all 31 other NFL teams of their loss earlier this week.
Ryan served on the Bills scouting staff for 30 years. After serving in World War II as a corporal in the Army, his football career started as a high school coach in the Northwest where he served for 11 years before returning to his alma mater to become the head coach at Puget Sound (1965-72).
He was an assistant coach at Hawaii in 1973 and Washington (1974-75) prior to joining the British Columbia Lions (CFL) for one season. He then returned to the high school ranks at Peninsula (WA) High for two seasons before joining the Bills. He is survived by his loving wife Joan and many family members.
There will be a memorial service for Bob on Saturday, March 21st, at 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church at 7700 Skansie Ave. NW in Gig Harbor, WA (98335).
If you wish the Ryan family has asked that you contribute to your local food bank as a memorial to Bob.
