Leonard "Mel" Melvin Ryan II's Obituary
Leonard “Mel” Melvin Ryan, II of Covington, LA passed away on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. He was born on March 1, 1949 in New Orleans, LA to Leonard Ryan, Sr. and Ives (Populis) Ryan.
Mel is survived by his beloved wife Beryl (Fransen) Ryan; his children Leonard “Lenny” Melvin Ryan, III (Kimberly) and Rhonda Ryan; and his two grandchildren, Tyler Ryan and Kailey Ryan. He is also survived by his brother G. Lyman Ryan.
Mel is preceded in death by his son Chad Michael Ryan; his parents Leonard Ryan, Sr. and Ives (Populis) Ryan; and his sister Alice Sue Kriz.
A native New Orleanian, Mel graduated from Warren Easton High School in 1966. He then began his career with Louisiana State Police in 1973. Mel later attended Loyola University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration. In 2016, Mel was inducted into the Warren Easton High School Hall of Fame.
Mel retired from Louisiana State Police after 33 faithful years. Of those 33 years, Mel served as Troop Commander of Troop B in New Orleans for 8 years, before being promoted to the rank of Major, which he served as for 6 years. After retiring, he continued his career in law enforcement with the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office where he was employed as a Criminal Investigator for the last 10 years.
Mel was a member of Mason Forum Lodge 395 F & AM. He was also a member of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, where he served as song leader.
A wake will be held at E.J. Fielding Funeral Home, 2260 W 21st Ave, Covington, LA 70433 on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM. Visitation will resume on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 10:00 AM until services begin at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow the services in Lawrence Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Loranger, LA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in memory of Melvin may be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Kidney Fund. Donations can be made at https://www.cancer.org/ or at https://www.kidneyfund.org/.
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