By Sahar Chmais
Education was the water that kept nourishing Kathryn Ann Ryan; the more education she received and shared, the further her roots spread in the community. Without Ryan’s love for learning, the new Kyle Public Library would not have come to fruition.
Ryan died on June 17, 2021 at the age of 75, but Kyle residents continue to benefit from her legacy.
Ryan’s petite figure was no match for her grand personality. She was tenacious in getting the city council to agree on securing the property for building a bigger library, as the old building was becoming too cramped. Eventually, Ryan became the president of the library board and recruited other city members to board positions. She was generous with her time and had the heart of a servant leader.
“When I ended my term on city council,” said Michelle Lopez, community leader and former City of Kyle council member, “she inquired of my interest in serving on the Kyle Library Board. It had not been on my ‘radar’, but she had a wonderful way of pointing out the skills one possessed and why they were the skills needed for the ‘project’ she was working on.”
Championing the effort for a bigger library and serving on the board was not enough for Ryan; she was also a member of the Friends of Kyle Library. This program provides support to the local community by contributing coats for school kids, providing clothing vouchers for the homeless, aiding families whose homes have burned, and operating a thrift shop.
Prior to her involvement in the expansion of the library and thrift shop, Ryan worked hard on expanding her education. She left her hometown of Port Arthur to pursue a teaching degree at the University of Dallas. Ryan married Daniel William Ryan in 1969 and moved to Indiana, raised five children with her husband while teaching elementary students in public schools.
In 2000, she received a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University. In 1999, excited to return to her home state, Kathryn and Dan moved to Kyle. In her new home, Ryan became active in the local community and supervised the Kyle Thrift Store in an effort to fundraise money for the library.
Although education was an intimate part of her personality, Ryan also enjoyed sewing and teaching the trade to anyone who wanted to learn. Her seamstressing abilities clothed herself and children. She also quilted intricate pieces and cared for the creatures who visited her yard.
Ryan is preceded in death by her husband, her parents Beulah and William Sutherland and her sister Eleanor Wight. She is survived by her children: Courtney Kaplan, Erin Ryan, Thomas Ryan, Colleen Ryan-Domingo, Jack Ryan and seven grandchildren.
Her son, Thomas, spoke of her soft and reassuring voice. “If you had a project and wanted a great story, you went to my dad. If you wanted to get it finished, you went to my mom.”
Others around the community agreed with the assessment.
“Kathy was a tireless volunteer and advocate for the Kyle community through her work with the Kyle Library and the Friends of the Kyle Library,” Lopez said. “Her wisdom, grace and leadership were a blessing to all who worked alongside her in various roles. She will be dearly missed, but the legacy of her work to build and support the library will remain.”
A memorial service for Ryan will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 16 at the Tiny T Ranch, 3409 Caldwell Ln. in Garfield, Texas.
