Bruce Neal Ryan

Bruce Neal Ryan, age 89, returned to his heavenly home on Monday, August 16, 2021 in Bountiful Utah after a sudden cardiac event on Sunday evening. The family wishes to thank the dedicated home-health staff from the Veterans Administration Hospital, Emergency staff from Lakeview Hospital, and the employees at Barton Creek in Bountiful where Bruce resided since June of 2021.

Bruce was born on July 26, 1932 in Park City, Utah to Benjamin Vernon Ryan and Edna Westerman. Bruce lived in Park City until his father died in 1940, and the family moved to Salt Lake City. Bruce and his brother Ralph often looked after their sister Joy while their mother worked. Pranks and laughter were part of the landscape. Bruce graduated from West High School in 1949, and apprenticed with a craftsman painter, a skill that would benefit him his entire life.

He married and later divorced his first wife, Joy Johnson and they had two children, Linda and Benjamin. After his divorce he was drafted into the Army and was stationed in Washington DC in the Presidential Honor Guard. He peeled a lot of potatoes, painted a lot of barracks and had many adventures with great friends he met there. Bruce returned to Utah after his enlistment period to work as a painter. Because of his skill and dedication, he was often asked to travel to other cities to complete projects for his employer. During one of these trips, he met the love of his life, Ila Manwill Gurr who was a young widow with three children of her own, Brenda, Douglas and Sandra. After eloping to Las Vegas on December 22, 1962, Bruce and Ila took on the task of blending the young family. Many years later they added two more children to the family group, Carla and Laura. The family enjoyed many trips across the country and camped and played along the way. Bruce was an avid fisherman and loved being in the outdoors, he golfed and played cards with his many friends. Bruce proudly started his own successful paint contracting business and taught many young family members this valuable skill. Anytime you visited Salt Lake City with Bruce, he would point out the various historical buildings he had painted over his career. One of his proudest professional accomplishments was being commissioned to apply gold leaf to the Angel Moroni statues for display on the tops of several temples and inside visitor centers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Later in life, Bruce devoted himself to his faith and church, he could often be found reading scriptures or biographical texts. Learning for him was a lifelong obsession. He was involved in Sunday School Presidencies and in the Boy Scouts as part of his religious service.

Bruce is survived by his children, Linda Anderson, Brenda Ririe (Randy), Douglas Gurr (Terry), Sandra Gurr, Carla Dunleavy (Brian), and Laura Hallen (Eric); his sister Joy (Bert) Aubrey; sister-in-law Mary Ryan, and his daughter-in-law Claire Ryan. He is also survived by 26 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his beautiful wife, Ila, his parents, brothers Benjamin and Ralph, son Benjamin, son-in-law Jeff, granddaughter Nicole, great-grandson Mateo, and great-granddaughter Giulia Valentina.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at the LDS Chapel, 875 Foxboro Drive, North Salt Lake, Utah with a viewing prior from 9:30-10:45 am. Interment-Salt Lake City Cemetery following the service.

Services will also be available via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/91432717537?pwd=TGpialgxR1hRZFc1NUNMYjFhL3M5Zz09

The Family requests that masks be worn during the funeral service.