Huntington St. Patrick’s Day Parade Tomorrow March, 13th 2016

Meet 2016 Grand Marshal

Huntington St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Sunday March 13th, 2016 2PM

NY Avenue (Big H) to Main Street West

John (Jack) W. Ryan

Jack was born in upstate New York,  just outside Albany in the Town of Colonie, to Elmer and Ida Ryan.

Having been raised a Roman Catholic, he attended Our Lady of Mercy Elementary school where he developed an appreciation for his Catholic faith and his Irish heritage.

Recently, he was able to trace his Irish ancestry back three generations to his great, great, Grand Father, Dennis Ryan who came from the County of Tipperary, in Ireland.

After graduating Colonie Center High School, Jack attended the College of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, at Syracuse University where he graduated in 1972.

As a young man Jack understood the importance and need to conserve our environment and natural resources. So, after graduating college he worked for a number of international forest products companies whose management policy focused on reforestation and the conservation of the environment.

Jack was AOH Division 4 President here in Huntington from 2005 thru 2008. During his tenure he expanded the Hibernian Food drive program and dedicated this program in honor of Hibernian Jim Regan, the Brother who started the program, which provides the much needed food to our local food pantries.

Currently, Jack is AOH Suffolk County Board President and Chairman of Charities and Missions, where he focuses on expanding his vision of feeding the hungry in Suffolk County through the “John Hennessey Memorial Hunger Program.”

In 2013, Jack was honored by the Suffolk County Hibernians and named Suffolk County’s Aide to the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

In 2014, the Huntington Hibernians honored Jack by naming him “Hibernian Brother of the Year”, for his dedication to feeding the hungry in the Town of Huntington.

Jack is also an active member of the Hibernian Festival Singers, a choral group who for the past two years has performed in Carnegie Hall, raising funds and awareness for “Hope House”, of Port Jefferson, a non for profit organization whose purpose is to help troubled youths in Suffolk County. 

Jack is also a member of the Northport Kiwanis Club, Crab Meadow Men’s Golf Club and Nokado, School of Self Defense.

Watch out for road closures starting around 1pm from Big H shopping center down NY Avenue to Main Street and then west on Main Street towards Cold Spring Harbor.

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