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 Gerard S. Ryan
Gerard S. Ryan was born on June 10, 1926, in Manhattan, New York, son of Helen Kirwan Ryan and Gerard Aloysius Ryan. Jerry grew up in Westchester County, NY and attended Rye Country Day School and The Taft School. He had two brothers Peter and Gordon. In Rye his family lived on 11 Ridgewood Drive and were members of the Church of the Resurrection.
Jerry enlisted and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
 After wartime service in the US Navy Jerry attended and graduated from Georgetown University where he met Barbara Battle. He and Barb married on May 3, 1952 and lived in Chicago, Ill, Pittsburgh, PA, Montclair, NJ and Durham, NC.
Jerry spent 36 years with The McGraw Hill Company, retiring as Publisher of industrial trade magazines. In 1985 he and Barb moved to Durham, renovated an historic property and established Arrowhead Inn Bed and Breakfast which they operated for fourteen years.
With Barb he started the NC Bed & Breakfast Association.
A loving husband, father, and mentor to many, Jerry was a founder of SHARE-South Hills (Pittsburgh) Association for Racial Equality, was active with the Newman Community in Montclair, with Meals on Wheels in Durham and was a blood donor at the Red Cross for decades.
A devout and progressive Catholic, Jerry was a champion of and had a lifelong dedication to helping those less fortunate. Quietly assisting people in need was a key tenet of his faith.
 Gerard Spencer "Jerry" Ryan, 91, died on February 12, 2018 in Durham, NC.
At the time of his death he was survived by his children Catherine Yancy (Sam) of Durham, Janet Marie Ryan, Rough and Ready, CA., Mary Ellen Francis (Lester), Apex, NC, Barbara Therese Ryan (WanLi), Singapore, Elizabeth Wilcox (Michael), Boulder, CO, David James Ryan (Mary), Jackson, WY, Peter Battle Ryan (Teglene), Arnold, CA, daughter-in-law Monique Wahli Ryan of Switzerland and grandchildren Devan, Kaylyn and Cassidy Francis, Catherine, Cormac, Eamonn, Declan and Darrien Wilcox, Cassandra, Shannon and Ainsley Ryan.
In addition to his parents Jerry was predeceased by his wife Barbara in 2017, son Gerard Patrick Ryan, daughter Anne Francis Ryan, brothers Gordon Giles Ryan and Peter Kirwan Ryan.
Durham Herald-Sun - Feb 25, 2018
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