Dortha Ryan

Dortha Ione Ryan, 90, passed into the arms of God on January 17, 2012. Preceded in death by her husband Thomas H. Ryan (1917-2002). Survived by her children: Son Tom and wife Cam; grandson Michael and wife DeShaun of great grandson Liam; Daughter Terrie; granddaughter Lynette and husband Chris; great grandchildren Racer, Irelynn; grandson Gregg and wife Sally of great grandchild Chance; grandson Brian and wife Alison of Given, Truth, also great grandchildren Ryan, Christa from Brian's former marriage; and Brother Wayne DeCamp of Hugoton, KS. Ione was born on a dry land wheat form located just outside of Hugoton and Liberal Kansas. She was the second of three children born to the parents of William and Clarissa (Smith) DeCamp. Her older brother Wayne and wife Shirley still live in Hugoton; her younger brother Wilbur ""Billy"" and wife Nita of Liberal, KS, preceded her in death. After graduating from Hugoton High School in 1940, Ione left the farm and moved to Denver, CO, in order to obtain her degree in bookkeeping. While there, she met Thomas ""Tom"" Henneberry Ryan (son of Joseph and Mary Henneberry Ryan of Denver). Tom and Ione were married in Tuscon, AZ, December 19, 1942, in a chapel on the Army base. During Staff Sgt.Tom's deployment to India as a top turret gunner on B29 #2, Ione lived with her parents on the farm. There, in Liberal, KS, she bore her first child, Thomas Wayne Ryan--on January 6, 1944. Upon Tom's discharge from the service, they lived a short while in Denver before moving to Dodge City, KS, to open a hobby shop. It was in Dodge City that her second child, Terrie Lynette Ryan, was born on May 2, 1947. In the spring of 1952, Tom and Ione moved back to Colorado and bought a house in Aurora on Iola Street. They lived in that house for over 25 years. During her time in Aurora, Ione pursued her career as a bookkeeper for the City of Aurora, while Tom worked as a civilian training specialist for Dept. of Defense, Nuclear Weapons, Lowry Air Force Base. She left the city to work a short time for Continental Airlines in early 1960's before returning to the City of Aurora to finish out her career. Ione loved to fish, and the family went camping/ fishing almost every weekend during the summers. The family also loved to travel and began what was to become a lifelong interest for her, traveling throughout the United States. About the time young Tom graduated from Aurora High School (1962), Tom and Ione began square dancing; traveling around the state to dances. Ione also started her hobby of knitting. Until her fingers would no longer work, Ione loved knitting sweaters, baby blankets, and afghans for friends and family. Not long after Terrie graduated from Aurora Central High School (1965), Ione and Tom took up jeeping. They belonged to the Mile High Jeep Club. There isn't a jeep trail in Colorado that wasn't driven by them. In the late 1960's, they drove the then dirt Alcan Highway in Alaska to Dawson Creek, camping along the way in their truck camper. Ione retired from the City of Aurora late in the 60's a couple of years before Tom's retirement. They bought land just outside of Silverthorn/ Dillon, Colorado. Tom and Ione spent weekends building a mountain home in the Mesa Cortina development. When Tom retired in the early 70's, they sold their Aurora home and moved to the mountains. It was while living in the mountains that Ione was able to really enjoy her new love of snowmobiling. She also did a little cross country skiing and snow shoeing, but her love was snowmobiling. In the late 1970's, Ione and Tom sold their mountain home and moved back to Aurora to a home on Asbury Circle near Buckley Air Force Base. Ione continued to knit while Tom continued to pursue his hobby of photography and gained a new hobby of flying radio controlled airplanes. This new hobby of Tom's gave them another excuse to do what Ione loved, travel about the US going to fly-in's. Along the way, she met people who were to become her lifelong friends. In the early 1990's, Ione and Tom sold their home in Aurora and built a new one in Fredericksburg, TX, to be closer to their children Tom and Terrie, both of whom lived in Texas at that time. It was in Fredericksburg Ione lost the love of her life, Tom. Tom died November 27, 2002, just 3 weeks short of their 60th wedding anniversary. After his death, Ione moved back to Denver. She lived a couple of years in Thornton before moving to the Arvada Meridian in Arvada, CO. At the Meridian she made lots of friends while playing Bingo, dominoes, cards and Wii bowling; plus she loved working jigsaws, crosswords and puzzles. All her life she was active, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking every day, until she could no longer. In 2009, Ione was diagnosed with AML leukemia. She faced her disease as she did life, with dignity, grace, determination and grit. She was an inspiration to others as she coped with her leukemia by smiling, never complaining. Ione fought the disease for almost 3 years before it took her life January 17, 2012. Ione loved life. Even to the end, Ione smiled. She will be missed by many. A visitation for Dortha will be held on Monday, January 23 from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Horan & McConaty Family Chapel located at 7577 W. 80th Avenue in Arvada immediately followed by a Rosary at 6:00 p.m. at the same location. Her Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, January 24 at 10:00 a.m. at Shrine of St. Anne Catholic Church, 7555 Grant Place, Arvada. Burial to follow at Fort Logan National Cemetery. 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