Reverend Richard “Dick” Ryley, devoted servant of God, passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 7 at Vassar Brothers Medical Center. Dick was born on July 31, 1934, in New York City and lived a great life filled with many wonderful memories with family and friends.
He was predeceased by his parents Norris and Vira Woodman Ryley, his brother Thomas Ryley and his devoted loving wife of 49 years, Joan Straley Ryley. He is survived by his three sons and their wives: John and Patricia, Ken and Annie, and Dave and Holly, as well as his five grandchildren, Kailan, Joshua, Allison, Aaron, and Noah, and one great grandchild, Layla.
Dick was a Methodist pastor for 54 years, during which he selflessly served many parishes and touched countless lives. His churches were located in Highlands, NJ; Rowayton, CT; Plainview, NY; Beacon, NY; Verbank, NY; Middletown, NY; and Warwick, NY. At the time of his passing, he was a vibrant member of the Skycrest United Methodist Church, in Clearwater, Florida.
Dick was very passionate about his four favorite things: family, the Lord, birds and baseball! He loved going on trips with Joan and exploring new places. He had an extensive lifelong bird list having traveled to almost every state in the U.S. as well as 5 different continents in search of new sightings. An avid sports fan who especially loved baseball, he loved spending days and nights at ballparks in search of autographs or just the serenity and atmosphere of the game. He most recently resided in Clearwater, Florida-the spring training home of his favorite team, the Phillies.
Visitation will be on Monday, January 10, 2022, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the in-person funeral service will be limited to family only. All are invited to attend virtually through a zoom link. Burial in Verbank Cemetery, Verbank, NY, will be in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be given to Hudson Valley Hospice, 374 Violet Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601; the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123; or any charity of your choice. Arrangements were made by Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY. To send an online condolence visit www.lsvpmemorialhome.com