Michael D. Ryba, Sr., of Worthington, Ohio passed away on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Michael was born in Chicago, IL on November 14, 1947. He is preceded in death by his mother Valburga Grantham, his brother Jim Ryba and his daughter Ann Ryba.
Michael will be greatly missed by his entire family. This includes his wife, Karen, as well as his children Michael Ryba, Jr., Elizabeth (Bill) Kennedy and Molly Garvey; his grandchildren, Sam, Haylie, Val, Abigail, Morgan, Robert, Elle, Victoria, Noah and Evelynn; his sisters Carol Ryba and Mary (Dave) Rose; his stepchildren Jennifer (Paul) Francis and Chris Evans; as well as nieces and nephews Jean (Alistair) Tuhrim, Matthew (Millie) Ryba and Alicia (Jon) Winn and all of their children.
Michael was raised by a single mother in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. He spent his days serving as an altar boy, attending school and then playing with his army men or going to the Museum of Science and Industry. School was very important to him and he was determined to get a good education. He graduated from Purdue University in 1970 and then received his law degree from Valparaiso University Law School - all while working multiple jobs and beginning his family. Michael had a long and distinguished career in the banking industry, most recently working in trusts and estates before his retirement from J.P. Morgan Asset Management in 2007. He had a reputation throughout his career as a caring supervisor and a very dedicated employee who never sought glory or credit - and he always worked to do what was best for the company and their employees.
Michael was known to all as an extremely loyal man, with a quick wit and a strong work ethic. His family was everything to him, and he gave up many of his own needs and wants in order to focus on his family and support everyone throughout his life. He was always there with a word of advice, pat on the back or a sarcastic joke to lighten the mood whenever anyone needed him. Michael moved to Ohio as a result of a bank merger in 1990, however he stayed true to his Chicago roots. He was an avid sports fan and loved the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears as well as his favorite Chicagoland food delicacies such as Gino’s East Pizza and Portillo’s. After moving to Columbus, OH he became a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey fan and had season tickets ever since their inaugural season in 2000. Michael spent a lot of his time watching sports, reading and cooking - and he was also very involved with fitness and specifically, he was a mountaineer. Some of the mountains he climbed were Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier and he loved to share stories about his time ice climbing and the obstacles he and his climbing team met along the way. He was also regarded as an amazing gift giver, he enjoyed finding unique and personal presents and strived to give everyone the perfect gift for all occasions. His children and grandchildren always got excited for a gift from Dad/Papa as they knew it would likely be their favorite.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 18th 2:00-5:00pm. Please email Elizabeth at [email protected] for details on the celebration. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Thomas Apostle School in Chicago, IL www.stapostleschool.com.
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