Ryan Anthony Gienapp
March 30, 1970 – April 21, 2026
Ryan A. Gienapp, 56, of Brandon, SD, passed away tragically on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, after being hit by a car while doing something he loved, running.
A Visitation will begin at 11:30 a.m., on Monday, April 27th, 2026, at Brandon Lutheran Church, with a Memorial Service beginning at 1:00 p.m. A livestream of the service will be available to watch by clicking HERE. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to B-Squad Dog Rescue or your favorite charity in Ryan’s memory.
Ryan Anthony Gienapp was born on March 30, 1970, in Sioux Falls, SD, to David and Nancy Gienapp. His family moved to Madison, SD, in 1976, where, unbeknownst at that time, he would meet his future wife, Amy, when their dads joined forces at the law firm Arneson, Issenhuth, and Gienapp. Ryan graduated from Madison High School in 1988. Ryan achieved high academic honors, receiving his Pharmacy Doctorate from the University of Wyoming and graduating in 1993.
In college, Ryan met the most wonderful friends who carried through to the day of his passing. He was set to leave on an annual Colorado mountain biking trip with some of those friends the day after he was sadly taken from this earth.
Ryan and Amy (Issenhuth) were united in marriage on September 10, 1994. They were blessed with four amazing children who were the center of their world.
Ryan was a pharmacist with Walgreens for over 30 years. His dedication to his coworkers and customers was a testament to his caring and professional nature that will be difficult to duplicate.
Ryan and Amy lived in Colorado for 7 years, along with many college friends. They moved to Brandon, SD, in 1999, to be closer to their parents and to return to their roots.
Ryan loved the outdoors – whether it was hiking, running, golfing, fly-fishing, or mountain-biking – it didn’t matter, as he wasn’t one to sit idle for long. He was the driving force behind many adventures, which included climbing 14ers in Colorado with his family. He was an amazing cook and loved seeing others enjoy what he made. That brought him more joy than the cooking itself. His homemade pizza and stromboli will be missed by many.
Ryan was a dedicated son, husband, dad, brother, uncle, and friend. We are all blessed to have him in our lives, although the time was too short and we wish for more days. We will all carry on in his honor.
Ryan will be deeply missed by his wife, Amy; children, Quinn, Evan, Jillian, and Ella; his parents, David and Nancy Gienapp; his sister, Tracy (Ross) Crum; nieces, Katie and Caroline; brother-in-law, Tom Issenhuth; nephews, Noah and Lucas; sister-in-law, Tracey (Jim) Tomassetti; nephews, Nick, Jake, Chris, and Ben; Ryan is also survived by numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, and the Colorado/Wyoming crew who were considered family.
Ryan is preceded in death by his in-laws, Sharon Issenhuth and Tom and Monie Issenhuth.
Please, remember Ryan as you listen to music, eat good food, hear a funny joke, or enjoy outdoor adventures.
Ryan, you were seriously one of the most humane and compassionate people I have ever met. Your loss is going to leave it’s mark for years to come. I’m so sorry for your loss guys.
Prayers for Amy and the family.
We are so unbelievably saddened by Ryan’s passing. We are sending love and prayers to all
Friends and family
I am still just as shocked today as I was yesterday. I don’t even have words to describe my feelings. You were the most kindest, compassionate human out there. You treated every person the same! You will be missed so much! I am praying for your wife and kids! ❤️
The stunning loss of a friend like Ryan is just unbelievably hard to process… he was simply one of the best people ever, and I can’t think of anything else to say other than that. From Cathy and me and our family, our deepest sympathy and prayers for Amy, the boys and the girls.
Ryan. Wow. Hard to believe this is real. You were an amazing friend and inspiration to me. You always spoke of how much you loved your family and truly adored your children. I am praying so hard for Amy and the kids. You are loved and you are so missed.
Ryan, thank you for being one of the best friends I’ve ever have had, I miss you so much already, Amy and kids Oh how he adored you all, prayers and healing for you. My friend you are a true example on how to life to its fullest, a life way to short, but man you didn’t waste a minute, till I see you again, Love you my friend
We are so sorry to hear about the loss of Ryan. Our deepest sympathy & prayers to Jillian, Ella, and family.
Jackie & Russ Eiynck (Lizzy’s family)
Ryan was such a great guy and friend. I loved working with him when I worked at Walgreens and always appreciated his thoughts. We continued to text and chat, and I loved hearing about his bike trips and when he made Beyond burgers or made cashew cheese dip. I’m just in shock and am so sad that he’s gone. I’m really going to miss him. He was such a positive light in my life.
Ryan was a friend to both my wife Cathy and myself. We met him through his being our pharmacist. Ryan and I used to compare our running mileage and injuries. What a terrible irony.. It was always fun to see and talk to Ryan, plus he was so knowledgeable. Our condolences and prayers to Ryan’s family.
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Ryan. My time at the University of Wyoming was enriched by having known him. My thoughts are with his family.
I only knew Ryan as a pharmacy patient, but he expressed such care in his profession that I told others about how he helped me. Most notably, when I showed up to Walgreens frazzled with a sick child who would not take the new flavor of antibiotics in my possession, Ryan really empathized with my situation. He literally double fisted phones calling around to other Walgreens until he could find the variety of antibiotics I knew my son would accept. He took as much time as necessary to help me completely, and that speaks to his character.
I am so sorry for your loss. Prayers for Amy, Tracy and families. 🙏🙏🙏
I drove up to the pharmacy window at Walgreens this morning and was shocked to learn of the unanticipated death of my pharmacist, Ryan. He was so helpful, very good at imparting important medication info,, and so kind. My heart aches for his wife, children and family and friends. I just picked up refills from him on Monday. Remembered and respected as a life well lived!
I am so sorry for your loss. I learned of Ryan’s unexpected death when I went to pick up my medications at Walgreens. His impact reached far beyond those who knew him personally. He will be deeply missed by many in the community who were touched by his kindness and the care he showed every day. My heart is broken for his family. Thoughts and prayers sent your way.
Ryan was already in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Wyoming when I pledged, in the spring of 1989. The house was small then, and Ryan was among a group of guys who were so down-to-earth, so friendly, and so real that I still remember those days with fondness. What a terrific person, full of joy and humor and warmth. I was a Pike all the way through graduation in 1992, and it was men like Ryan who helped make it a formative and character-building experience. I am devastated for Ryan’s wife Amy and their families, especially their four children. Please accept my condolences.
Ryan and I were fraternity brothers, and I will always be grateful for the friendship we shared. He was truly an amazing human. I am incredibly saddened by the news. My deepest sympathies are with Amy, Tracy, and the entire family.
Amy and family—you are in our hearts, thoughts and prayers. We are so sorry for your loss.
Ryan was more than just a coworker, he was a true friend. He cared about everyone he met, customers and co-workers alike. I will never forget his love of music-it was always playing in the pharmacy, the numerous times he would text me and ask me if I could guess where he was-often watching a movie at the State Theater, or asking what was for dinner and sharing photos of what he baked for his family-pizza, Stromboli and sourdough bread being the most common. I will miss his friendship and knowledge, truly one of the best. RIP Ryan. Prayers to Amy, his kids and the rest of his family. He loved all of you so much.
What an exceptional human being. He was the reason I stayed a 26th and MN Walgreens Pharmacy customer. From flu shots in the fall to Shingle Shots to COVID shots – let alone drug knowledge – he was amazing!!! Always remembered who I was and always had a treat for my poochers. He often mentioned his family and upcoming trips, etc. with such great love for them. He really was an exceptional human being. I’m so sorry his life was cut short!!!
My favorite pharmacist ever. Prayers for the family.
We are so sorry.
Ryan,
You will always be a special hunting and fishing partner. We caught a lot of fish and knocked down a lot of birds. It’s not real that someone took you away from us. I pray for comfort for Amy and kids, and Other friends and family members. You were one of the best, Ryan! RIP Buddy!
Am saddened to hear of f Ryans passing. A good person. He worked on my crew at colman in his school years. My condolences to all.
I was privileged to know Ryan through working with him at Walgreens. He was such a kind, compassionate soul. My deepest sympathies to Ryan’s family and friends for this tragic loss.
Ryan was the epitome of customer service. He was my Pharmacist for many years. Ryan was brilliant in treating his customers with the utmost respect and care. Rest in peace Ryan, sending prayers Amy, for you and the children. I am so so sorry for your loss.
Ryan was always a joy to hang out with. When we reopened the Sioux Falls market I had the pleasure of working with him! We spent some quality time on the golf course making several trips to Madison to play at the Country Club. He was such a special person and one of the good people!! I haven’t seen him in many years but he is someone who left a life long impression! My condolences to his family!
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Caring, passionate, loyal, thoughtful, and amazing are the words that come to my mind when thinking of Ryan. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
Ryan saved my life by catching a mistake doctors had made in my medications. Sometimes we would talk chemistry. Sometimes we would talk literature. Sometimes we would talk about the spirituality of nature. His intellect was open to many areas and I counted him a friend. I always enjoyed talking with him.
I was so sorry and shocked to see this tragic loss. What a wonderful and caring man. He always had time to help his patients while working at Walgreens. Thank you Ryan for always having my back. Your team will miss you dearly and so will I.
Prayers and condolences to his family .
We had the honor of knowing Ryan during the time he worked with our sons, Jack and Joe, in hockey. He was always so kind, compassionate, and full of life, a true mentor to them simply through his presence and gentle way.
Our hearts go out to Ryan’s family. We are so deeply sorry for your loss.
My thoughts and prayers are with Amy, David and Nancy, family and friends. May your loving memories of Ryan be with you always.
I was one if Ryans Walgreen clients for almost ten years. We only had small exchanges and a quick smile monthly but I will miss seeing him around. He was a really nice guy. It made me sad to hear of his loss. My prayers go out to the families and friends.
Dear Gienapp Family,
Please accept our sincere condolences. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Paul Cremer
My deepest condolences to the Gienapp family. Ryan was a good friend in high school. I wish our paths had crossed again before this tragedy.
We are so sad to learn of Ryan’s passing. We knew him only as our pharmacist at Walgreens but the care he always showed was amazing; he was like a trusted friend. He always took time to answer questions and show his care to prescriptions and other medications. He always met you with a smile. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ryan’s family and his Walgreens family pharmacists. We are sorry for your loss. Rest In Peace Ryan.
“My deepest condolences to Amy and the kids during this difficult time.”
“May God give you the peace that you seek and may the soul of your loved one rest in peace.”
Although my connection to Ryan was through his work as a pharmacist, I soon grew to like and respect him. We shared a love of movies, his love more specifically was of stories that were a bit quirky, but always emotionally involving. Wes Anderson’s delightful Moonrise Kingdom was a favorite film of his. As many have already noted, he was an outstanding pharmacist, steeped in professional knowledge, caring and generous with his time. He made our local Walgreens feel like a small-town store, where the folks who worked there knew you and cared about your health. His advice to my family was the gold standard. In our last conversation I told him that he single-handedly made me realize that smart pharmacists were an underused medical resource in America. My heart is heavy writing these words.
I was a pharmacy patient of his. As someone who had recently moved out and now had to get my medication on my own, Ryan was the guy I needed. Whenever I had questions he would answer them with no judgement whatsoever. He was the best. He helped everyone even if he had seventeen other things to do. This news is absolutely heartbreaking. He was a constant in my life routine and to not have him at Walgreens anymore will be difficult. My condolences to the family and friends.