Obituaries
Lloyd Ryysylainen, 64, Passes Away After Long Battle With Cancer
A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown in Yorktown Heights on Saturday, April 20, at 1 p.m. A gathering of friends and family will immediately follow.
Lloyd Ryysylainen, a loving father, former teacher, journalist and business owner, passed away on Saturday, March 9 after battling cancer for nine years. He was 64.
Ryysylainen was born on Jan. 13, 1949, in Princeton, NJ and spent his childhood in Scotia, NY. He was an Eagle Scout and graduated from Scotia High School in 1967. He graduated from Bucknell University in 1971, and as the goalie on the Bucknell men's soccer team, still holds the school record for most goals saved in any season.
After graduation, he worked as a Spanish teacher at the Hackley School in Tarrytown, and then spent 10 years as a journalist and editor for the Westchester Gannett Newspaper Group.
Find out what's happening in Bedford-Katonahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In 1984, as a certified arborist, he established his own business Executive Tree Service in Yorktown Heights. In 1990, his company was acquired by Sav-A-Tree, in Bedford where he continued to work for 20 years.
Ryysylainen loved sports. He was a marathon runner, long-distance cyclist and member of the Yorktown Athletic Club softball league. He was also a co-founder of the Westchester Road Runners Club and volunteered as an EMT for the Yorktown Ambulance Volunteer Corps. He was an avid reader, Scrabble aficionado and had a passion for traveling.
Find out what's happening in Bedford-Katonahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
He and his first wife Kim Angliss, moved to Yorktown Heights in 1985 and raised their two children Leslie and Alex with fond memories of ski vacations and summer trips out west. Ryysylainen's number one priority was being a dad; dedicated and involved in his children’s lives in every possible way. He will forever be remembered for his unconditional love, support and encouragement.
In 2008, Ryysylainen married Deborah O’Sullivan, and in 2009 they moved to Savannah, GA, where he became a tour guide at Savannah Walks Inc. He loved the beauty of Savannah and was passionate about educating visitors on its history.
For nine years, the man battled cancer with the same determination, energy and cheerful spirit that characterized his approach to life. He participated in a drug trial for the treatment of multiple myeloma that helped lead to its approval by the FDA.
Ryysylainen is lovingly remembered by his wife, Deborah; his two children Leslie and Alex Ryysylainen; parents Allan and Sandra Ryysylainen; sister and brother-in-law Allison and Bob Smith; niece Devon Thurmond and nephews Gregory and David Merante.
A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown in Yorktown Heights on Saturday, April 20, at 1 p.m. A gathering of friends and family will immediately follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the University of Arkansas
for Medical Services (UAMS) in recognition of the excellent treatment program
and care provided. (http://giving.uams.edu/s/1496/images/editor_documents/
general_forms/uams-gift-pledge-form.pdf)
Checks can be made payable to Winthrop P Rockefeller Foundation Fund- enter
MIRT in memo line. Please include Lloyd Ryysylainen’s name in the Tribute Information section.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.