Barbara Anne Ryan

Barbara Anne Haddad Ryan was born on December 18, 1937 in Canton, OH and went on to set the world on fire with her brilliant mind and beautiful Spirit. She died on September 30, 2021, and lives on boldly by the lives she touched.

Barbara lived a fascinating and rich life. From a very young age she excelled in everything that allowed her mind to experience the intensely intellectual instrument that it was. She graduated with honors from Swarthmore College outside of Philadelphia, and subsequently went on to do the same at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York City.

Journalism, indeed, was among her true loves. Throughout her life Barbara would savor any piece of prose she could get her hands on, but it was those that she authored which allowed for her highly distinguished and respected career as a Journalist for The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. As a leading practitioner of her art, Barbara was able to create and carefully craft the telling of events that she knew would change lives… including her own.

Barbara lived in Denver for over 30 years and is where she served on a number of boards and councils while raising her family and breaking just about every glass ceiling she encountered. Barbara was well known for her shrewd op-eds that peppered so many of the primary papers over the years as a Wonder Woman Watch Dog of particularly public policy. Nothing got past her and she made sure the world knew it in fierce yet elegant ways.

Later in life Barbara moved back to Philadelphia where she went on to become the Associate Vice President of her alma mater, Swarthmore College. Thereafter she ultimately finished her career at America’s most prestigious academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa in Washington D.C.

Barbara returned to Denver for an encore residency, but this time as a retiree. Retirement did not sit well with Barbara, however, and she soon moved to Cary, North Carolina for one of her favorite roles as Grandma while remaining active and engaged in social justice committees and community affairs.

Barbara is survived by her two children, daughters Anne Ryan and Jennifer Pillay, son-in-law, Poobie Pillay, three adult grandchildren, Cheri, Cheru and Cherzie and her youngest grandchild, Cheralise Pillay, whom – like her Grandmother – will go on to set the world on fire with her brilliant mind and beautiful Spirit.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at her church at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family is requesting that donations be made in Barbara’s honor to the charity of their choice.