Obituary of Margery Ryan

Margery Gardephe Ryan born on August 16, 1932, in Clarksville Iowa. She died Friday, October 25, in Boulder, Colorado. She was 81 years old. Marge was an artist who began with studies at the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota Florida. She was a staff artist at the Ringling Circus, carving replicas for the finest miniature circus. Her illustrations appear in the BSCS biology text books, which was the job that brought her to Boulder in 1961. She was the artist/technician for the museum of the University of Colorado, and a diorama background artist for the Denver Museum of Natural History. Her work, in various mediums has also been collected privately. Her meticulous attention to detail, and intuitive feeling for the wild creatures and places are the hallmarks of her work. Marge grew up in upstate New York in the Adirondack and Allegheny Mountains. She roamed many wild places from the beaches and swamps of Florida, to the deep woods and shorelines of New England, and the hill country of North Carolina. Her heart belonged to the western mountains and the high country of Colorado, which was the home to which she returned. Marge was preceded in death by her parents, Emerson Mitchell and Jesse Kirk; her sisters Esther DeHond Finlayson and, Ruth Miller, and the many German Shepherds (Barron, Thor, Darkon, and Arapaho) and one gentle Arabian horse (Romey) that were her closest companions. She is survived by her sister, Madeline Hovekamp of Oregon, former husband Joseph Ryan of North Carolina, and the Dr. Jerry Smith Family of Boulder. She was a very special Aunt to many nieces and nephews, and a dear friend to many living from coast to coast, whose lives she touched. Remember Marge by finding some wild place and take a walk through it, and notice the beauty that surrounds you. In lieu of flowers please make a donation, in Marge's name, to a charity that is important to you. There will be a memorial service at 4:00 PM, on Saturday, November 16 at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 345 Mapleton Ave. Boulder, Colorado.