Obituary of Donald Arthur Ryan

Don passed away peacefully on August 30th, 2014, at Surrey Memorial Hospital, surrounded by family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Gail, his daughters Stacy Kennedy (James) and Courteney Brown (Travis), his son Sean Ryan, and his grandson Aidan. He is also survived his father, Donald Arthur Ryan Sr., and his siblings Timothy Ryan (Debbie), Carol Cormie (Vic), and Janet Taylor (Ian), along with many aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. He was predeceased by his mother, Florence Gertrude Ryan. Born in Montreal, QC, Don lived for many years in Saint John, NB, and Surrey, BC. He was a graduate of UNB’s chemical engineering program. Don worked for 33 years in the sugar refinement industry, including 12 years at the Lantic Sugar Refinery in Saint John. He had recently retired as the Operations Manager of Rogers Sugar in Vancouver. Don was an active and much-loved member of the Sugar Industry Technologists for many years. He served as president of SIT for two years, and in his proudest moment, was awarded the SIT’s Crystal Award for excellence in sugar technology in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2012. Don enjoyed a fine game of golf (particularly whenever he won), loved to experiment in the kitchen with spice blends and sauces, and collected extensive libraries of books and music. He was well-known for his good humour, intelligence, and genuine personality, had an infectious smile, and could always be counted on to add a dash of fun to any party. He was also known to be a tough contender in any trivia contest imaginable. He will be missed by many. A memorial service to celebrate Don’s life will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, October 18th, 2014 at Brenan’s Bay View Funeral Home, 1461 Manawagonish Rd., Saint John, NB. (506-634-7425). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations may be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association or to a charity of your choice. www.BrenansFH.com