Edward A. Ryan, 89 of Monmouth Beach, passed away Thursday Feb. 11th at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch. Mr. Ryan was born in Long Branch and lived in West Long Branch before moving to Monmouth Beach. He was a 1939 graduate of Long Branch High School. Mr. Ryan served his country honorably in the U.S. Army Air Corp, enlisting in 1942. He graduated from Glider Flying School in 1943. In January of 1944 he went to the European Theatre of Operations, where he made glider landings a s a pilot on D-Day. In the fall of 1944 he made glider landings in Holland and Wessel Germany across the Rhine River. All of his glider landings were behind enemy lines. He returned back to the United States in 1945 and was honorably discharged as Major. In 1945 Mr. Ryan joined the Air Force reserves and was promoted to Lt. Colonel, where he served until his honorable discharge on July 7, 1980. Mr. Ryan was an Electronic Engineer at Fort Monmouth, where he designed electronic connectors. The connectors were used by NASA, U.S. Military Air Craft and Commercial Air Craft. His connectors are most commonly used in the black recording boxes that all commercial air planes use. In 1958 he won the Comet Sailing Championships. Mr. Ryan was a founding member and Past Commodore of the Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club. He won the DN Eastern Ice Boat Championships. He was a member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Long Branch. Mr. Ryan was the Secretary from 1990 until his retirement in 2000, of the Elberon Memorial Church, Long Branch. He was a member of Deal Golf and Country Club, Deal. He was predeceased by his wife, Shirley Nichols Ryan, in 2004. Surviving are three daughters and two sons-in-law, Shirley Ann and John Gallicchio, Torrington, Ct., Kim and Nels Voldseth, Houston, Tx., and Jill Ryan Bisogne, Edison, NJ.; four grandchildren, Carrie and Toby Gallicchio and Thomas and Stephen Bisogne; a sister, Virginia Gray, Mystic, Ct.; and a brother, Charles Ryan, NC. Visitation will be Wed. Feb. 17th, 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the Woolley Funeral Home, 10 Morrell St. at Broadway, Long Branch. Funeral services will be Thurs. Feb. 18th, 11:00 AM at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Broadway and Washington St., Long Branch. Interment will follow in Glenwood Cemetery, West Long Branch. You may light a candle of condolence by visiting www.woolleyfh.com.