Meredith Mae Ryan passed away on March 25, 2014, after a long and difficult fight against PSP, progressive supernuclear palsy. Her final year was spent as a resident at Blaine Manor nursing home.
Meredith was born on Aug. 22, 1948, in Southern California, where she became an outstanding swimmer and treasured her time “surfing the gunnels” on runs between Santa Catalina and Newport Beach. Meredith attended the University of Portland where she met and married the father of her two children, Bryce Powell. Bryce was tragically killed in an electrical accident while working with the Army Corps of Engineers, leaving Meredith to raise Holly and Josh, her two children, as a young widow.
While attending a wine tasting school in Portland, she met Gerry Ryan and married him in 1990. After a brief stay in Lake Oswego, Ore., the Ryans moved to Ketchum, Idaho, to take advantage of the loves of her life, namely skiing, hiking and cross-country mountain biking. The Ryans shared a common interest in travel and extensively explored Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Celtic Isles and all of South America, including a 1,000-mile-long trip up the Amazon River.
While not traveling, Meredith worked for the Sun Valley Co. in both summer and winter capacities, and spent a number of years as a sales person for Panache , a women’s clothing store in Sun Valley. As her health began to deteriorate, Meredith kept her joy of living and always had a kind word and easy smile for all the people she encountered.
A terrific wife, a devoted mother and grandmother, Meredith always left those who interacted with her with a smile on their face. While the Ryans lived in Hawaii for two years, Meredith became the first Idahoan to appear on “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire,” missing out the “fastest finger” by a mere .003 of a second.
Meredith is survived by her husband, Gerry; children, Holly and Josh Powell of Portland Ore.; stepchildren Mike Ryan and Melissa Tatham in San Diego and Portland, respectively; and grandchildren, Jordan and Hunter Ryan, Bryce and Stella Powell, and Charlie and Caroline Tatham. Meredith’s sister, Susan, lives in San Diego.
A celebration of her life will be held at the Ryan residence in early June.
