March 9, 1963 – Nov. 15, 2024

Damian Willard Ryan, beloved husband, father and friend, passed away on Friday,

Nov. 15 with his wife and children by his side. 

Damian, a lifetime La Crescenta resident, was born on March 9, 1963 to James W. Ryan and Suzanne Alys Ryan. The youngest of five sons, Damian graduated from Crescenta Valley High School in 1982 where he was known as the very good-looking guy with the polo shirts, signature blond hair and yellow 1970 El Camino. The life of the party and a friend to everyone, his classmates described him as the kindest, most genuine person of their class. 

A man driven by an unmatched work ethic and desire to tackle the next project, So-Cal Heating and Air was Damian’s passion and purpose because he loved what he did … and he did it well. Beginning with servicing residential homes in the La Cañada area and an office out of his home, So-Cal expanded to 14 employees serving La Crescenta and the surrounding areas. 

Damian loved a challenge and was always thinking of how to tackle the next one. Where some companies would say a project was impossible, Damian would find a way, having the skill and engineering ingenuity to create the perfect system for anyone. But more than his innovation for solving the unsolvable, So-Cal flourished because of the type of human being that Damian was. An individual of generosity and absolute integrity, customers knew he would do right by them. Because of his immense integrity, he was confident in his choices and intentions. He knew his core values. He knew what was right. And that was his guiding force in all he did, professionally and privately. A testament to the quality of Damian’s character, So-Cal never had to do any advertising as word-of-mouth from customers was more than sufficient. Customers included teachers of his alma mater to city permit officers.

He became best friends with his top competitors because it was just in his nature to be everyone’s friend. He wanted anyone that he interacted with to feel important and that they mattered to him. 

However, beyond any work project or friendship, Damian’s penultimate project was his family. He met his wife and love of his life Rachel Ryan in 1996. And for better or worse, he never left her alone after that. He built their family home in 2001. And shortly thereafter in 2002 he experienced what he called the best day of his life when they found out they were pregnant with their first child, Dana Lee. He could not wait to have another and their son Richie soon followed. Damian, the fun dad, often said that he could not be more proud of his children and that his most joyous moments were watching them on the soccer field or listening to them sing

or play the piano. He felt it was his responsibility to always provide for them and accordingly made sure they had every resource they needed to grasp every opportunity before them.  

This last week, as his body began to let go but his mind held on, he was able to spend a few precious days with his family by his side. Richie took his father for one last ride in his beloved El Camino. Dana sang one last song for him. On Friday, Nov. 15 at 5:55 a.m. all three held onto him as his spirit went home. 

His funeral service will be Friday, Nov. 29 at 11 a.m. at Holy Redeemer

Church, 2411 Montrose Ave. The burial will follow directly after at Forest Lawn of Glendale, 1712 S. Glendale Ave. 

Damian would like it duly noted that he had to wait 10 days for his burial permit.

Even in death, those city permit guys still hold up the project.