Nicholas P. Ryan

Nicholas P. Ryan, 39, of Highlands Ranch, CO, passed away on June 27, 2025. 

Nick was born in Lafayette, LA, to Thomas Ryan and Jacqueline Crader. He was the eldest of three siblings, including a twin brother and younger sister. His childhood took him from Louisiana to Houston, TX, and then to Cedar Rapids, IA. 

Nick’s youth was filled with road trips, science fiction, video games, and a love of water and music. He was a talented saxophonist and played in Jefferson High School’s “Band of Blue” marching and concert bands.

Driven by a talent for science and mathematics, he pursued electrical engineering at Iowa State University where he found not only academic success but a deep sense of community. A proud member of the Cyclone Football “Varsity” Marching Band, Nick became a devoted fan of Iowa State athletics. During this time, a co-op with Rockwell Collins launched his career in aerospace. 

Nick began his career full time with Lockheed Martin and eventually moved to Poulsbo, WA, where he met the love of his life, Sydney. Together they embraced the Pacific Northwest — enjoying trivia nights, scuba diving, fishing, brewing beer, barbecuing, opera, traveling, camping and exploring nature.

Later, Nick transferred to a role in deep space exploration and relocated with Sydney to the Denver area. There, he contributed to some of the most inspiring scientific missions of his career, including NASA’s InSight Mars Lander, Lucy (the first mission to study Trojan asteroids), SLD (Sustaining Lunar Development), MAVIS (part of the Mars Sample Return program), and the GOES weather satellite program.

Nick and Sydney were married in 2017. Their greatest joy came with the births of their children, Amos (2020) and Maya (2022). Nick was a devoted father who loved making his children laugh and sparking their curiosity about the world around them. 

He is survived by his wife, Sydney Ryan (néeLewis), and their children, Amos and Maya, of Highlands Ranch, CO; his father Tom (Mary) Ryan and mother Jacquie Crader, both of Cheyenne, WY; his grandparents Bill and Marie Crader, also of Cheyenne; his twin brother Chris (Nancy) Ryan of Houston, TX; his sister Lindsay (Zach) Murdock of West Branch, IA; his step-sister Stephanie Gangstad of Lufkin, TX; and 6 nieces and nephews.

Viewing and Visitation to be held on Thursday, July 10, 2025 from 10-11:30AM and a Funeral Service at 11:30AM at Drinkwine Family Mortuary, 999 W. Littleton Boulevard, Littleton CO 80120. A reception to follow at Drinkwine Reception Hall. 

In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to a memorial fund being established in Nick’s honor to endow a scholarship for members of the Iowa State University Cyclone Marching Band at https://isu.foundation/ryanmemorial

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