Maj Ryan W. Nicklin, U.S. Air Force
October 14, 1978 – April 11, 2022
Ryan grew up in Greenville, Pennsylvania, where he excelled as both a student and an athlete. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and graduated with honors from Greenville High School in 1997. He was the first student from his school to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. There, he developed a love for the mountains and took to skiing, hiking, and fishing.
Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2001, Ryan entered Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. He earned his Air Force pilot wings and flew the A-10 “Warthog,” completing more than 50 combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and along the Korean Peninsula’s demilitarized zone. During his career, he served with the 25th, 75th, and 354th Fighter Squadrons at Osan Air Base in South Korea, Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
While serving overseas, Ryan earned an MBA through the Boston University School of Management. In 2013, he separated from the Air Force and returned to Greenville to help run his family’s business. Ryan passed away on April 11, 2022. His legacy lives on through his family, friends, and fellow airmen.
