James Michael (Jim) Ryan of Minot passed away Sunday, February 24 at Trinity Hospital. He was 88.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, February 27 at Our Lady of Grace at 12:00 pm. Visitation for the general public will be Tuesday from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot with a Prayer Service at 7 p.m. at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to either the Bishop Ryan Foundation or the Minot Area Community Foundation.


Born November 22, 1919 in Flint, MI, Jim was the only son among Michael and Irene Ryan's four children. To help his family endure the Great Depression, Jim set to work at an early age by lending a hand at the family grocery.

Later he completed his formal education as a mechanical engineer at General Motors Institute of Technology in Flint, Michigan, before beginning a life-long love affair with the car business.
On May 22, 1943, Jim married his best friend, Anne Halpin, a woman he had wooed since the 4th grade. The wedding occurred mere months before he shipped out to the South Pacific during World War II.

After serving an honorable two-and-a-half year tour in the Navy, Lt. Ryan returned to Flint, Michigan, the General Motors Corporation and his new family. It was on that trip home that he met his first daughter, Mary, who was born while he was at sea.

His work with Chevrolet brought him to Minneapolis, MN with brief stints in Sioux Falls, SD and Fargo, ND. He later accepted a position with Rydell Chevrolet in Grand Forks before buying what would later become Jim Ryan Chevrolet in 1973.

Jim, who only recently stepped aside after nearly three decades as owner/operator of the dealership, passed on the reins of leadership to his daughter, Kathleen.

In addition to ensuring the success of the family business, Jim was committed to a variety of local causes. Much of his focus was devoted to the Minot Catholic Schools Network, where he served as President of the Bishop Ryan Foundation Board for more than a decade. Jim was also a strong supporter of Fargo Shanley High School, the University of Mary in Bismarck as well as the Minot Area Community Foundation.

Jim was a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus and was honored as a fourth-degree Knight by the Minot KCs.

Working with Chevrolet allowed Jim and Anne to indulge in their passion for travel. Over the years, the couple made notable excursions to China, Australia, Egypt, Great Britain, Italy and Ireland.
An avid fan of baseball's Detroit Tigers, each spring Jim would confidently profess to any and all that "this was their year", only to back off such predictions by early summer as his beloved Tigers floundered.

Jim and Anne began splitting their time between Minot and Sarasota, FL in recent years, often hosting family members and friends for long weekends of cribbage and bridge.
But few things brought more joy to Jim than his loving and ever-present family. In all, Jim and Anne raised five strong, intelligent and independent daughters, each of whom he considered his favorite.
Later, he would greet the arrival of his sons-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as unique blessings. The sight of his family together at their annual retreat at Union Lake, MN or as they gathered over the holidays warmed his heart.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Frances (Fran) and Elizabeth (Bette) and his son-in-law, Everett. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Anne, his sister, Virginia, five loving daughters - Mary, Patricia, Kathleen, Joanne and Jean - four sons-in-law, Kenneth, Lloyd, Michael and John; 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

He will be remembered by his family for his limitless love, patience and forgiveness, his friends for his unwavering loyalty, and business associates as a man of honor and great character.

He will be missed.

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