Friends and Colleagues Reflect on Terry Ryan's Lifetime of Service

'A man with a phone and a mission,' the longtime advocate guided countless communities through the AIDS epidemic's darkest days

Terry Ryan 2 — Terry Ryan. Courtesy photo

Published: August 20, 2025 | Last Updated: August 20, 2025

Terrance "Terry" Patrick Ryan packed several lifetimes of service into his 80 years, leaving behind a legacy that spans from the earliest days of the AIDS crisis to the modern HIV prevention landscape in Michigan. When he died March 17, the state lost not only a tireless advocate but also a spiritual teacher whose impact reached far beyond the realm of public health.

From his earliest days at Wellness Networks, Ryan embodied what colleagues remember as "a man with a phone and a mission" — someone who understood that behind every call for help was a person in crisis who deserved compassion, accurate information and hope.

Terry Ryan. Courtesy photo

Images of Terry Ryan spanning his lifetime. Courtesy photos

Finding his calling in crisis

In the late 1980s, Ryan was working as a textile buyer when he encountered a crisis that would define the rest of his life. AIDS was still called GRID — Gay-Related Immune Disorder — and fear dominated public understanding of the disease. As Ryan watched friends and community members fall ill and die, the epidemic wasn't an abstract health issue — it was devastating his personal world. Incredulously, the federal government under Ronald Reagan was refusing to even acknowledge the crisis as thousands of gay men died, often completely alone in their final moments.

Despite the stigma and uncertainty, Ryan began volunteering for Wellness Networks, Michigan's first organization to address the emerging epidemic, in September 1985. His warm, inclusive nature and deep understanding of the community's fears made him uniquely equipped to provide comfort during the crisis. What would define Ryan's approach throughout his career was already evident: He worked tirelessly not for recognition or accolades, but because the cause demanded it and people needed help.

By early 1986, the organization needed to hire its first full-time employee to run the hotline and manage office duties. That first employee was Terry Ryan. He became Michigan's first full-time paid employee of an AIDS service organization, staffing the statewide Michigan AIDS Hotline and establishing support groups and education programs. When frightened callers reached the hotline, they found Ryan's kind, reassuring voice on the other end — someone who understood their fears because he shared them and could offer both practical information and genuine compassion.

"To me, Terry's most endearing quality was his ability to be a 'connector.' A connector of health and healing. And most importantly, a connector of loving care between well meaning people on this earth."
John Joanette

While the opportunity presented itself, "Terry was never interested in accepting an executive director position at that time," recalled Ken Owens, who worked alongside Ryan in HIV/AIDS advocacy. "He was more interested in 'doing the work' and helping people versus management and politics."

At his core, Ryan was a connector — someone who saw relationships between people, organizations and missions that others missed. His humor and warmth drew people to him, while his passionate commitment to inclusion made everyone feel welcome. John Joanette, a longtime friend, observed: "To me, Terry's most endearing quality was his ability to be a 'connector.' A connector of health and healing. And most importantly, a connector of loving care between well meaning people on this earth."

Ryan recruited and trained volunteers for hospital visitation programs and buddy systems, creating networks of care for people facing what was then considered a death sentence. As the epidemic evolved, so did his role. He worked as a state-certified HIV counselor for the Macomb County Health Department while serving as a consultant for the Michigan AIDS Fund, launching an AmeriCorps team that trained hundreds of AIDS educators and activists.

When Ryan became CEO of the Michigan AIDS Coalition in January 2008, the role represented a significant shift for someone who had always shied away from the spotlight. As Joanette noted: "In his various groundbreaking roles within the HIV community, he preferred to always be in the background, just getting up every day and doing the hard work of making sure individuals in our community had the programs and services they needed."

Under his leadership, MAC conducted thousands of workshops and training sessions, reaching more than 500,000 people. Ryan championed the organization's merger with Matrix Human Services in December 2015, where he continued working until his retirement in 2021. Even in his final years, Ryan remained active in his spiritual community at Camp Chesterfield, teaching and mentoring until shortly before his death.

Ryan's spiritual path shaped his service

While building his career in public health, Ryan pursued another calling. His spiritual journey began in the late 1970s when he started exploring Spiritualism. When longtime friend Jim Hafer moved in with Ryan in 1980, the two men began exploring the faith together, developing a mutual interest that would shape both their lives. Their shared exploration led them to visit a Spiritualist church in Grand Rapids and deepen their understanding of the teachings.

Around 1982 or 1983, their mutual interest led Ryan and Hafer to learn about Camp Chesterfield in Indiana, the home of the Indiana Association of Spiritualists. Ryan began studying at the camp in 1983 and became a resident medium and teacher in 1995. He was ordained on Oct. 28, 2000, as a minister through The Indiana Association of Spiritualists.

"Ryan's spiritual journey continued as he became a gifted teacher at Camp Chesterfield college. He was a talented clairvoyant medium," Hafer said. "He was always passionate about Spiritualism and all its teachings."

Owens observed that Ryan's rare ability to balance practical business skills with spiritual insight made him uniquely effective in both worlds. His deeply connected spiritual self gave him exceptional insight into connecting with people, while his organized, logical approach helped him translate complex concepts clearly for students and colleagues alike.

Ryan's dual commitment to public health and spiritual development offers a model for holistic service — recognizing that people facing health crises need not only medical information and social services but also meaning, connection and hope. Throughout his career, Ryan remained what colleagues remember as a warm, funny and passionately inclusive "gentle giant" and mentor, someone who connected people and missions to solve problems and serve the community. His lasting dedication was fueled by the devastating losses he witnessed in the early years of the epidemic, transforming personal grief into four decades of service that continues to impact Michigan's most vulnerable populations.

Celebration of life services will be held Saturday, Aug. 23, 2-3:30 p.m., at Royal Oak Women's Club (404 S. Pleasant St., Royal Oak), with an "Afterglow" at 4 p.m. at 215W (215 W Nine Mile Road, Ferndale). A second service will be held Saturday, Oct. 18, 3 p.m., at Camp Chesterfield Chapel (50 Lincoln Drive, Chesterfield, Indiana). Visit revterryryan.com for updates.