On March 20, 2021, Jason Patrick Ryan, beloved husband of Beth Miller Ryan, went home to be with God. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his parents, William and Gladene Ryan; brothers, Kevin Ryan (Letitia), and Merlin Ryan; sisters, Janette Ryan and Carla Ryan-Hirst, and a large circle of family and friends. His sister Ramona Matias-Ryan (Luis) preceded him in death.

Jason was born in Alma, Michigan and grew up in Athens and The Plains, Ohio. He graduated from Athens High School and went on to earn an undergraduate degree from Ohio University. After college, Jason lived and worked in the Athens area and gradually became more involved in the musical life of the community, both as a performer and as host of a radio program on WOUB, public radio, a station affiliated with Ohio University.

Jason was an artist whose passionate love for music, especially a cappella choral music from the Renaissance to the present, was an abiding focus of his life, and the foundation of many of his relationships.  Over a professional career that spanned more than 30 years, beginning in his hometown of Athens, Ohio, Jason sang with numerous groups as a chorister and soloist.  Jason's deep bass voice was of a rare quality and his meticulous attention to his musical craft made him a valuable part of many organizations including Ohio Valley Summer Theater, Parkersburg Choral Society, Lancaster Chorale, Singing Men of Ohio – founding member, Baltimore Opera Chorus, Lyric Opera Baltimore, Baltimore Concert Opera, Young Victorian Theater Company, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Baltimore Symphony Chorus, Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and the Handel Choir of Baltimore.

Jason valued all opportunities to make music, and had a particular love for his role as section leader and soloist for churches.  His first position was at First Presbyterian Church of Athens, where he worked with Ira Zook who was Jason's first voice teacher and an abiding influence on his life.  When he moved to Baltimore in 1993, Jason became the bass soloist with St. Mark's Lutheran Church under the direction of James Harp, who also served as Chorus Master for the Baltimore Opera Chorus.  Jason's final church association was with The Church of the Redeemer under the direction of Henry Lowe and later Bert Landman.

Jason was also a professional massage therapist for more than 25 years. After training in Ohio, he was an active practitioner of massage until the end of his life, with studios in Baltimore and Columbia. As with music, he focused on attaining excellence in the art and craft of massage. He loved to help others and relished the fact that his first name means "healer" in Greek.

Jason was a loyal and loving person who stayed in touch with family, friends and colleagues. His humor and wit were keen and he loved to use his intellect to make an unexpected point in conversation.  He was also unfailingly generous with whatever he had to share to help someone else.  Jason volunteered with the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped recording books and as a reader with the Radio Reading Network of Maryland.

A celebration of Jason's life will be held at The Church of the Redeemer later this year when we are more fully able to gather and to sing as a community. In lieu of flowers, the family invites contributions in Jason's memory to the Friends of Music, Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210 or online https://redeemerbaltimore.org/giving/ .