Francis “Frank” Ryan, who spent two decades covering the Wisconsin State Capitol for United Press International, died Friday, April 10, in Middleton. He was 84.
Ryan was born Dec. 27, 1935, in Chicago. After graduating from Sullivan High School in 1954, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for nearly three years.
In 1962, he graduated from Marquette University, where he met his future wife, Claire McMahon. They were married later that year in New York City. The couple had six children together and 10 grandchildren.
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Ryan was hired as a reporter by United Press International and spent two years in the Milwaukee bureau before transferring in 1966 to Madison. There, he served as Madison bureau chief and political reporter, covering the State Capitol. Ryan wrote two columns a week, which were published by newspapers across the state.
In 1985, he left UPI to become the press secretary and speechwriter for the Wisconsin Attorney General. He spent the last several years of his career editing the AFSCME Reports newsletter for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union in Wisconsin.
When he retired in 1998, the Wisconsin Newspaper Association honored Ryan for his exceptional contributions “made to journalism in Wisconsin and the United States over a period of more than two decades.”
A former Capital Times publisher described Ryan as “a tough veteran of the profession who has earned the respect of anyone who has been around long enough to spot a phony.”
A private burial was held due to the coronavirus pandemic. Future plans for a celebration of Ryan’s life are hoped for, but uncertain.
