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SHIRLEY RYAN.

: ‘Shirley Ryan of Terrace : “died: i in’ St. Paul's
~ Hospital in Vancouver on. March 10, after. an.
"operation to remove one hing. She was 55.

Shirley will be sadly. missed by her many
friends and family, including her husband Jim,
and children Nora, Holly, Terry, Anne and Jim,
and eight grandchildren.

Jim is proud to point out that three of his.

and Shirley's grandchildren are now in a brass
quintet and participating in this year’s Music

jg ie.

‘Festival; “They've got a lot of intestinal fertitnde
: and. a'lot-of love,” he says.

“The Ryans came to Terrace in the summer of

. 1974 after a holiday through here to visit with

_ Bev and Gordon Dickie. Jim was impressed that
‘a community the size of Terrace was spending. .
~ almost $1 million to build a performing arts |

| : . ee and he was offered a. teaching job here.

Gordon and Jim had grown up together in

| . Chilliwack, were friends all through their Navy

“years, and had played in the Naden Band
“together Shirley was born in Padstow, Alberta
_ and was raised by her grandparents. She met
“Jim in Abbotsford where ‘she was attending
school in the early 50s. They were married in

. 1958, Bev Dickie says, "'ye known Jim and
. Shirley. as long as I've known my own husband

.— 38 years!"
. The Ryans. lived. for 22 years. in. Victoria

before their move to Terrace. Jim was a musician

* "and “led a pretty hectic life." He adds, with

affection, "Shirley was always supportive and
solid. She never lost sight of what had to be
done." Shirley. was a mother of five, a
Owl’, ", & boxing chaperon and a licensed practical

: nurse at Sandringham Hospital. She also did

- some physiotherapy training and work at the
_ Gorge Hospital:

Terrace Review — April 3, 1992

"Hoot

| Shirley Ryan.

dim says most of their working lives were
quite separate. But, he remembers fondly, three .
special projects they worked on together. Shirley
started the Brownie pack in their neighbourhood.
Jim explains, "We had three little girls and no

- Brownies!" Shirley called: the District Commis-

sioner, set it up and became the "Hoot Ow!"
(normally known as the Brown Owl). Jim built
the toadstool and the group met in the Ryan’s

. basement until it outgrew the house and moved

to larger quarters. Jim says proudly, "They're —
still going and still using the toadstool!"
Another Victoria project was the establish-
ment of the Mill Stream Boxing Club for 45 boys
who didn’t want to join little league or any other

_ team sport. Jim admits he couldn’t box his way
out of a paper bag, but he did know an available

trainer, Verne deRoge. They held bottle drives for

~ equipment bought from the Armed Forces base in