Bert O’Leary Ryssman

Bert O’Leary Ryssman, passed away peacefully of natural causes in his sleep April 5th, 2016 in Reno, Nevada. Bert, the first of eight children, was born to Bert and Nora Josephine (O’Leary) Ryssman on October 9th, 1921 in Moroni, Utah. He married his loving wife and eternal companion, Dorothy Evelyn (Brown), in the Salt Lake City LDS (Mormon) Temple on August 23rd, 1948.  From his youth on Bert loved and learned everything about aviation. Seeing that his son’s heart was not in farming, his father often said that Bert would always watch the planes overhead while hoeing the rows. Bert would go on to earn his private pilot’s license shortly after this at age sixteen. After graduation from Garden Grove High School (CA) in 1940 Bert enlisted as a cadet in the Army Air Force serving during and after the war. In the mid­1950s he changed to reserve military status, and was hired by Trans World Airlines, for which he flew as a flight­engineer/pilot for almost 35 years. He retired from TWA and the Air Force Reserves with the rank of Major in 1987. During a TWA labor strike he even worked for Flying Tigers Cargo and sold ice cream from a Good Humor truck on Long Island, New York. A lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter­day Saints, Bert was ordained to the priesthood and held the office of High Priest. He was actively involved in Boy Scouts as an adult leader attending national and world jamborees. He was especially proud of having earned his Wood Badge Leadership credentials. His letters and possessions always including a hand­drawn Bobwhite symbolizing different aspects of his Boy Scout troop.  He is survived by his children Alice Lynn, Loren Bert, Lauri Kay, Orin Lee, Daryl Elwood, and James Terry; 16 grandchildren and 9 great­grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife of almost 60 years Dorothy (2008) and son Dwayne Mark (2016). He is also survived by his siblings Dorothy June (Quante), Ramona (Potts), Iris (Putzig), Naomi (Jiles) and Arthur Daniel; he is preceded in death by Maxine (Meador) in 2009 and Otto Eugene in 2015.

Graveside service and burial took place at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery (Fernley, NV); funeral arrangements are through La Paloma Funeral Services (Reno, NV).