MIKE J. RYAN, 81, of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away Tuesday morning, February 21, 2012 in the Cherokee Villa Nursing & Rehab Center.

Funeral services will be held Friday, February 24th, at 2 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa. Rev. Magrey de Vega will officiate. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee, Iowa with military rites by L.A. Wescott Post #2253 of the V.F.W. There will be a family prayer service at 1:45 p.m. at the funeral home on Friday. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Boothby Funeral Home with the family present from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. On line condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Mike was born on May 18, 1930 to Edward P. & Ruby (Swain) Ryan at Storm Lake, Iowa. He graduated from Cherokee Wilson High School in 1948. After graduation, he worked for Baumann's Bakery. On November 1, 1951, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was sent to Chicago and then chose to do basic training in Hawaii at Schofield Barracks. He was then sent to Korea from 1952-1953 where he was in charge of an ammunition depot. Upon returning home from Korea, Mike went to work for B & B Distributing in Cherokee, where he had also worked before he went into military service. After building a new house, Mike was united in marriage to Carolyn "Tessie" Reed on September 2, 1955 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cherokee, Iowa. In 1959, Mike & Tessie moved to Florida for a year where he managed a business. At the end of 1959, they were asked to purchase B & B Distributing and he did and it became Ryan Distributing until 1979. In 1979, he moved to Houston, Texas where he worked for Owens Country Sausage until 1983 when he moved to Tyler, Texas and he became the East Texas Branch Manager of Owens Country Sausage until his retirement in 1992. Upon retiring, he moved to Sioux City, Iowa where he enjoyed 20 years of doing what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it with many, many friends. Mike was a longtime fast pitch softball manager, managing his first team in 1949. He managed and sponsored many players throughout his career until his last team in 1972. His first team was sponsored by D & R Restaurant in 1949, Pastime Lounge in 1950 and Hamm's Beer from 1954-1972. He was a member of the V.F.W., American Legion and former district softball commissioner of Northwest Iowa. He was an avid softball fan especially at Penn Corp Park and also traveled to many World Softball Congress World Series meeting players from all over the world. After losing his eye sight, he still managed to enjoy all sports by watching Mike & Mike in the morning on ESPN2 and having his daughter Aimee read him the sports page of the newspaper. Mike also enjoyed watching cowboy movies.

He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Rene Pyle, 3 brothers: Jerry, Stanley & Keith "Pat" Ryan, mother and father in law Art & Agnes Reed.

Mike is survived by his loving wife Carolyn "Tessie" Ryan of Cherokee, Iowa; 3 daughters: Aimee Rupp and her husband Steve of Cherokee, Iowa; Gigi Boothby and her husband David of Cherokee, Iowa; Ida Ryan and her partner Lisa Beeson of Tyler, Texas; 8 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren: Ann (Cory) Wolterman and their children Emma & Caleb; Alecia (Adam) Rapp and their children Madison & Noah; Angela (Willis) Carver with twins on the way; Jennifer (Mike) Nixon and their children Cooper, Anna & Zoey; Michael Boothby; Matthew Boothby; Gabe Pyle; Luke Pyle; 6 nieces; 3 nephews; 2 cousins; many friends and former softball players.

Any cards may be sent to Tessie Ryan 1402 N. Roosevelt Apt. #4 Cherokee, Iowa 51012.