Obituary of Richard Michael "Mike" Ryan Jr.

Richard Michael “Mike” Ryan, Jr. died unexpectedly in his home on September 16th, 2019 in Beaufort, SC at the age of 37.

Mike was born on November 27th, 1981 in Hilton Head Island, SC to Richard Michael Ryan, Sr. and Martha Stewart Fruehauf. He attended Hilton Head Preparatory and graduated from Fork Union Military Academy in 2001. Upon graduating, Mike immediately enlisted in the Marine Corps. He served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded the following medals: Combat Action Ribbon, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, NATO Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and National Defense Service Medal. After serving in the Marine Corps, Mike worked as a military contractor serving an additional two tours in Afghanistan. He also worked as a firearms instructor and was a dedicated volunteer with Beaufort Water Search and Rescue.

Mike is survived by his father Richard, his mother Martha, his sister Caroline, his brothers Andrew and Jeffrey, his grandparents Harvey and Susanne Fruehauf, and adoring extended family.

A visitation is scheduled on Monday, September 30th at 10:00 am at The Island Funeral Home in Hilton Head, SC. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 am, with light refreshments afterwards. Burial services will be held at 2:00 pm at Beaufort National Cemetery.  All are welcome to attend and celebrate Mike’s life. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Mike’s favorite charity: Special Operations Warrior Foundation at specialops.org.