For 31 years, Bob Ryan’s job as the Boothbay Railway Village’s executive director was an everyday adventure. Ryan never knew what his position had in store for him. One day he would travel to Massachusetts to pick up a 1937 Packard and the next, he’d deal with the aftermath of an unexpected Maine storm.

But each spring, Ryan knew exactly what to expect: a throng of people visiting the museum as it opened for the season.

“I loved watching the visitors stand on the platform and watch the train come around the curb. Seeing the folks react in such a joyous manner was something I always got a real kick out of,” he said.

Ryan, 69, assumed the executive director’s position in 1984. He retired in February 2014. For three decades, Ryan directed the Boothbay museum which he described as a “vintage, recreated village.” The museum’s exhibits include the restored Freeport train station built in 1912, an operating two-foot gauge steam train, a collection of over-the-road antique cars, and the former Boothbay town office building.

Ryan believes the village connects the present to the past.

“The village is an unique undertaking. One minute you’re riding on an old steam engine and the next, you’re riding in a Model T,” he said.

Ryan worked for the Owls Head Transportation Museum prior to becoming the Railway Village’s executive director. Ryan came to Maine to attend Nasson College in Springvale. He befriended several fellow students from Round Pond and decided to stay in coastal Maine.

Ryan worked for the Owls Head Transportation Museum when he learned the Boothbay Railway Village needed an executive director.

“I walked in one day and told them I understand you’re looking for an executive director and spent the next 31 years here,” Ryan said.

His duties included some fun and some not-so-fun jobs.

“Balancing the books wasn’t too much fun, but driving visitors in a Model T and telling them about the car and its history was,” Ryan said.

When Ryan began his duties in 1981, he could hardly contain his excitement.

“I worked six days a week, and on the seventh, I was home thinking about work,” Ryan said.

After college, he worked several years as a fisherman before changing careers. The Melrose, Massachusetts native became enamored with coastal Maine, fishing, and vessels.

Ryan spent several years fishing for ground fish such as haddock and cod. He once fished 50 consecutive days.

“I realized fishing was a way of life and not a job,” he said. “So, if I wanted to raise a family, I should look for something different.”

During his retirement, Ryan and his wife, Roz Davis, travel weekly to Massachusetts visiting their two grandchildren. Ryan continues as the Grand Bank Schooner Museum’s administrator. He also volunteers for Lincoln County FISH and Friends the non-profit organization that provides rides for people without transportation.