Army veteran who went on to become a firefighter and a radio station owner came out as gay in his obituary.
He said he had kept his sexual preference private throughout his life.
His niece, Linda Sargent, said on “Good Morning America” that Edward Thomas Ryan died on June 1.
His obituary, which was published on June 8, included a message he wrote before he passed away.
In his obituary, he said he had always been gay. He described himself as a caring person who loved his partner, Paul Cavagnaro, who he said died in 1994.
They had been together for 25 years. He passed away due to a medical procedure.
Ryan’s obituary stated that he would be buried next to Paul. In his message, he said he had kept his sexuality private due to the fear that he would be ostracized.
He added that he was sorry for not coming out as gay.
According to Sargent, her uncle, who was also named Edward, told her about the message that he wanted to share following his death.
Linda Sargent said that she told her uncle to come out as gay. She noted that he was a great man, and she was sorry that he had to hide his sexual preference.
Ryan spent most of his life in New York, where he lived in various places such as Albany and Rensselaer.
Ryan was a member of a local Catholic church, and he was the youngest of his six siblings.
Although he was close with his family, Linda Sargent noted that he did not talk about his sexuality or other personal issues with his siblings.
Although she had never met Cavagnaro, who Ryan described in his obituary, Sargent said that she heard her uncle talk about wanting to be with him again following his death.
She said that he wanted to go home.
Ryan was the love of her life, and he would not talk about his sexual preference in public, as he was afraid that he might get backlash for it, especially since he served in the military
. During the Second World War, the Department of Defense encouraged the military to investigate and question service members who were suspected of being gay.
In 2010, the so-called “don’t ask, don’t tell” law was repealed.
According to Sargent, Ryan did not want to receive military honors during his funeral. Instead, he requested a private farewell.
His story has since gone viral, and his niece says that it is a final tribute to her uncle.
When Sargent talked to her uncle, Edward, he said that he was not aware of what was happening in the world.
He was also surprised by the messages that people had sent him. She said that her uncle was able to open doors for others through his obituary.
