Lois Ryan became a special education teacher at the local middle school after moving to Lake Bluff more than 50 years ago.
An accidental artist who didn’t realize she had a natural talent until deciding to teach herself how to paint from photos she had taken, she became a member of a local artist group dedicated to promoting the arts.
At her church, she co-founded a bookstore to benefit local causes, including aiding refugees.
And she was a good neighbor.
"We initially bonded over our love of gardening," said Nan Caldwell of Lake Bluff, who lived next door to Ryan for many years. "But after we got to know each other, I began to see all the wonderful sides of Lois — the artist, the teacher, the woman who loved movies and plays and doing New York Times crossword puzzles. She was so interesting and so much fun to be around.
"For me, it was like having a next-door playmate."
Ryan, 85, died Jan. 25, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. For the past four years, she lived at Lake Forest Place, a senior living facility in Lake Forest.
"Lois was a special lady — smart, compassionate, talented and vivacious," said village of Lake Bluff President Kathleen O’Hara, a former colleague of Ryan’s. "She was a vital part of our community and a friend to so many. Her enthusiasm for life was contagious."
Born Lois Stevenson in Philadelphia, Ryan received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1952. After graduating, she moved to Chicago and landed a job as an editor for Encyclopedia Britannica.
She developed a love of art and began teaching herself how to paint landscapes and still-life fruits and flowers from photos she had taken.
"One day, she picked up a brush and just started painting," said her daughter, Holly Ryan Howell. "To her surprise, she discovered she had a real gift."
In 1955, Ryan married Richard Davies Ryan, who died in 2005. The couple settled in Lake Bluff and began raising a family.
While raising her children, she began teaching at Central Elementary School in Lake Bluff in 1966. A few years later, she joined the staff at Lake Bluff Junior High School as a special education teacher. She remained at the school until her retirement in 1978.
During that time, Ryan also completed a master’s degree in education at Northwestern University.
"We first met in the ’70s when her classroom was located directly across from mine," said O’Hara, a former teacher at Lake Bluff Jr. High School. "I was a new teacher, just starting out then. I remember thinking how patient and caring she was with students.
"She was the type of teacher every child deserves."
Ryan was also a member of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, where she sang in the choir and rang bells. She was the co-founder of the church’s Missions Possible Books, whose proceeds have supported local causes such as a refugee resettlement program.
"Lois dedicated an enormous amount of her time and energy toward the betterment of all humanity," said Lynn White, a former pastor at the church.
In the mid-1990s, Lois and her husband moved into one of the oldest houses in east Lake Bluff, a cottage-style home built in 1880 and one of the village’s few remaining examples of what’s known as Stick Gothic architecture. With her husband’s help, she restored it inside and out and created colorful floral gardens fashioned after those found in England.
Ryan and her neighbor Caldwell were there for each other in good times and bad.
"When I lost my husband, she was my support, and when she lost her husband, I helped her get through it," she said.
Ryan was a longtime member of Artists on the Bluff, a nonprofit organization of artists dedicated to promoting the arts. Over the years, she participated in dozens of art fairs, festivals and benefits.
"Lois’ paintings were lovely," said Caldwell, who’d help her friend set up her paintings for exhibits. "She captured the magic of nature beautifully."
Ryan also is survived by two sons, Richard Jr. and Steven, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. April 22, at the Church of the Holy Spirit, 400 E. Westminster Ave., Lake Forest.
Giangrasse Kates is a freelance reporter.
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