Danny Ryan Died in the Tragic 1961 Plane Crash:
On February 15, 1961, a tragic plane crash killed all the members of the U.S. Figure Skating Team. Also, friends, family, judges, officials, and coaches were killed. The skaters were traveling to the World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. One of the figure skating coaches that died in the crash was Daniel "Danny" Ryan.Figure Skater Daniel "Danny" Ryan:
Daniel "Danny" Ryan, was the 1953 U.S. National ice dance champion. He also won the bronze medal in ice dancing at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952 and 1953. His ice dancing partner was Carol Ann Peters. Ryan had been successful at artistic roller figure skating before switching to ice and had won many roller skating medals.Competition Record:
- 1951 US Ice Dance Bronze Medalist
- 1952 US Ice Dance Silver Medalist
- 1952 World Figure Skating Championships Bronze Medalist
- 1953 US Ice Dance Champion
- 1953 North American Ice Dance Champion
- 1953 World Figure Skating Championships Bronze Medalist
Successful Figure Skating Coach:
By 1961, Ryan was considered one of the top ice dance coaches in the United States. He was based at the Winter Club of Indianapolis.Coach of Diane Sherbloom and Larry Pierce:
Diane Sherbloom was from the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. She was without a partner in 1961, and did not plan to take part in the 1961 U.S. Championships. At the last minute, Larry Pierce asked her to skate with him since his partner broke her ankle. Five weeks later, the team won the 1961 U.S. Ice Dance title.Dallas “Larry” Pierce was from the Winter Club of Indianapolis. With Marilyn Meeker, he won the silver medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1960. They placed fifth at Worlds.
Danny Ryan coached Meeker and Pierce, and also Sherbloom and Pierce.
Family:
Danny Ryan was married to Canadian figure skater RoseAnne Paquette Ryan. At the time of the 1961 plane crash, the couple had five young children, 3 boys, and 2 girls, (ages 5, 4, 2½, 1½, and 2 weeks). Paquette Ryan was also an active figure skating coach, but she did not travel on the plane since she had just given birth to her last child only two weeks before. After, her husband's death, she continued to coach figure skating.Daniel Ryan's Skating Legacy Lives On:
The two Ryan daughers, Terri and Sheryl, became figure skaters and eventually coached skating.In 2009, Sheryl's son and Daniel Ryan's grandson, Ryan Christopher Nolan, qualified for the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in the novice pairs division. Nolan and his partner Marissa Spector won the bronze medal at the 2009 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships.
- Grandson of 1961 crash victim continues legacy - By Jo Ann Schneider Farris, on IceNetwork.com
Terri's children also learned to skate: two became hockey players and one got involved with synchronized figure skating, freestyle, and ice dancing.
