Jon R. Ryan

Jon R. Ryan, 61, a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa died on Saturday, August 15, 2009 in Bettendorf of natural causes.
A service to celebrate his life will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, August 22, 2009 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 18th St. & Mississippi Blvd. in Bettendorf. The family will greet friends from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Saturday at the church. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Scott County Humane Society or the Bettendorf Rotary Club to be used for the distribution of Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets to families in need. McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home of Bettendorf is assisting the family with arrangements.
He was born November 1, 1947 in Galesburg, Illinois, the son of Roy & Ann (Swanson) Ryan. Jon received his Batchelor of Arts degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois and earned his Master of Arts degree from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. He served in the 85th Division Army Reserves of Rock Island, Illinois from 1970 to 1977 when he was honorably discharged as a Sergeant First Class.
On May 16, 2000, he was united in marriage to Beth Ries in Laguna Beach, California.
Jon became the State Director of the Iowa Small Business Development Center in 2003 after 17 years as the director of the Small Business Development Center at the Eastern Iowa Community College District. He worked as a consultant after he left there in 2007.
He also served as the chairman of the Bettendorf Chamber of Commerce board of directors and was a 2nd Ward alderman in Bettendorf from 1975 to 1987. In addition, he was a member of the Bettendorf Rotary Club where he served as chairman of the Paul Harris Fellowship Foundation. Jon also served as chairman of the Mayor’s Task Force on Downtown Bettendorf Development and co-chaired the Bettendorf Centennial committee.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Beth; his close cousin, Harriet Olson of Moline, Illinois; his mother-in-law, Monica Ries of Clinton, Iowa; his sister-in-law & brother-in-law, Barbe & Robert McGee of Clinton; his sister-in-law, Mary Ries of Clinton; his nieces & nephews, Matthew (Katie) McGee & their daughter, Izabella of Longmont, Colorado; Patrick McGee of New York City, New York; Johnny McGee of Clinton; Brad Ries Jr. of Clinton; Tricia (Jason) Todtz & their children, Caden & Dylan of Clinton; Eric Ries of Clinton; several other cousins; and his beloved kitties, “Jingles,” “Prince Harry,” and “Itty Bitty.”
His parents, grandparents, his father-in-law, William Ries and his brother-in-law, Bradley Ries preceded Jon in death.
Condolences may be expressed to the family by viewing Jon’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.