Official Funeral for Former Chief Secretary James Ryan

The Cayman Islands Government will accord former Chief Secretary James Ryan an official funeral in recognition of his distinguished public service and longstanding contribution to the Cayman Islands.

A series of activities in honour of Mr Ryan’s life and legacy will be held in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac as follows:

• Lying-in-State at the House of Parliament, Grand Cayman on Thursday, 18 June. Members of the public are invited to attend and pay their respects from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., while a livestream of the event on CIGtv will start at 9:30 a.m.
• Life Celebration Service, First Baptist Church, George Town, Grand Cayman on Saturday, 20 June, 3:00 p.m.
• Official Funeral at the Aston Rutty Centre, Cayman Brac on Saturday, 27 June, starting 2:00 p.m.

As a mark of respect, the Cayman Islands flag will be lowered at half-mast on Thursday, 18 June in sync with the lowering of the flag at the House of Parliament for the Lying-in-State. The flag will be lowered across all three islands on Friday, 26 June following a ceremony at the District Administration Building in Cayman Brac ahead of the official funeral, as well as on the day of the funeral, 27 June at those government entities operating on the weekend.

Mr Ryan, from Cayman Brac, dedicated 39 years to serving the people of the Cayman Islands. He served as Deputy Chief Secretary from 1992 before being appointed Chief Secretary, a post he held until his retirement in 2004. During his tenure, he oversaw a period of significant transformation for the Civil Service, helping shape the systems, standards and frameworks that continue to underpin government today.

A highly respected member of the community, he was appointed to the Council for the Order of the Cayman Islands and served in numerus capacities after his retirement.

He passed away on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.