Watsonville Fire Capt. Matt Ryan (right) pays thanks to fellow firefighters from multiple agencies, various police, family and friends Tuesday morning at a farewell breakfast on his final shift as a firefighter. Born in 1962 at the old Watsonville Community Hospital, Ryan said he attended MacQuiddy Elementary School, E.A. Hall Middle School and Watsonville High School. He excelled as a defensive tackle for the WHS Wildcatz before graduating with the class of ‘81. Ryan became a full-time firefighter in 1990. “I’ve got a list of things to do (in retirement), but the main thing I want is to get a full night of sleep,” he said. “I guess one of the most important things about all this is the nurturing part—we are a big wonderful family—the family is everything. That’s one of the best things about the fire department.”
