Peter James Ryerson

Peter James Ryerson died peacefully at Sunrise Senior Living in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on Friday, March 20, 2026 at the age of 86. He was born in Bryn Mawr, PA on December 3, 1939, the son of Philip Nelson Ryerson and Octavia (Hamilton) Ryerson. Mr. Ryerson graduated from Springfield High School in Springfield Township, PA, and later earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in industrial engineering and a masters degree in business administration from La Salle University in Philadelphia.

In the course of his military service 1959-1960, Mr. Ryerson served as a Combat Engineer with the U.S. Army assigned to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea following the 1953 U.S.-Korea Armistice Agreement. Because the Armistice Agreement was a military ceasefire only, rather than a political settlement, the DMZ remained one of the most tense flashpoints of the Cold War. Frequent skirmishes with North Korean soldiers were common, and few soldiers returned home unscathed. Not long after he returned from Korea, Mr. Ryerson met Nanette Rose Glidden, who later became his wife of 62 years.

During his lifetime Mr. Ryerson built a decades-long career in healthcare, beginning with Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first hospital, later advancing to Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. In 1979 Mr. Ryerson moved with his family to Akron, Ohio, to begin a career in healthcare consulting under a contract with Akron City Hospital. Several years later he joined Akron General Medical Center as Director of Management Engineering (1980 – 1986), where his department was responsible for engineering process and workflow improvements throughout the hospital.

In 1985 Mr. Ryerson joined KPMG, a global network of professional services that includes consulting services to the healthcare industry. After several years further developing his expertise with KPMG, in 1989 he heeded the call of entrepreneurship and founded Ryerson Healthcare Consulting, which rapidly grew to serve hundreds of hospitals and healthcare providers in thirty-eight states across the country. In late 2011 Mr. Ryerson sold Ryerson Healthcare Consulting and retired to spend more time with his family.

During the years of his career, Mr. Ryerson contributed both time and talent to the development and advancement of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), serving as president (1985-86) as the organization grew to international status.

Mr. Ryerson remained actively engaged with organizations that served both veterans and the community at large throughout his working years and retirement. As a past chairman of Akron’s Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), he mentored aspiring entrepreneurs in developing new businesses. He also participated with the Rotary Foundation in strengthening their mission within the Akron community, and served in the position of Vice Commander of the Fairlawn Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

Mr. Ryerson was a runner in his earlier years and, together with his beloved wife, Nan, an avid fly fisherman. Together they traveled both at home and abroad to fish their favorite waters, particularly delighting in Alaska’s rivers and Scotland’s lochs and streams. Mr. Ryerson was also a licensed instrument-rated private pilot who was passionate about flying, either solo or with Nan, for business and pleasure. He was irrepressible on the subject of flying and delighted in mentoring young adults to “take to the air”.

He was fortunate to travel with Nan to much of the United Kingdom and Europe, and they typically spent summer vacations in the Lake District and White Mountains of New Hampshire, Coastal Maine, or in Nova Scotia with friends. Christmas vacations often found them dog sledding and snowmobiling in Quebec or the Grand Tetons, or exploring Charleston, Savannah, Santa Fe, and other historic communities. Mr. Ryerson was a loving and thoughtful provider to his children and grandchildren and always maintained an interest in what they were doing. He also loved many family dogs during his lifetime.

Mr. Ryerson was preceded in death by his 25-year-old son, David Hamilton Ryerson, who died in a plane crash in January 1994. At the time, David was a first -year medical student at the Medical College of Ohio. In honor and in remembrance of David, Mr. Ryerson, his wife Nan, and his older son, Stephen, endowed an annual scholarship awarded to a talented first-year medical student with demonstrated need. Mr. Ryerson was also preceded in death by his parents Philip N. Ryerson and Octavia H. Ryerson. Mr. Ryerson is survived by his wife Nanette Glidden Ryerson, son Stephen Jeffrey Ryerson (Martha) of Dublin, Ohio, along with his grandchildren Katherine Ryerson Parks (Brett), John Isaac Ryerson, Thomas Bartlett Ryerson, and great-grandson James Thomas Parks. He is also survived by extended family members including sisters Julie Ripley of Phoenix, Pennsylvania and Lucy Keiper of Langhorne, Pennsylvania; brother-in-law Hal Glidden of Bellingham, Washington and nephew Eric Glidden of Bellingham, Washington; and nieces Hilary Glidden Rosenholz of Washington, D.C. Alyssa Clark of Opua, New Zealand and nephew Jess Kilgore of Richmond, Virginia; and grand-nieces Taylor Somerville of Columbus, Ohio, and Kaitlin Rose Kilgore of San Bruno, California. Mr. Ryerson also leaves behind an extensive group of professional colleagues and long-time friends across the United States.

Mr. Ryerson’s family has many people to thank. The family gratefully acknowledges the compassionate care of Dr. Eric Panzner at Partners Physician Network during the last years of Mr. Ryerson’s life. The family is also especially thankful for the help of the caregivers at Sunrise Senior Living Memory Care and Miracle City Hospice who helped to keep Mr. Ryerson as comfortable as possible. The family further thanks the Rev. Charles Knuth of Christ Episcopal Church Hudson for the administration of Last Rites.

Mr. Ryerson’s ashes will be scattered privately off the Isles of Shoals on the New Hampshire coast.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mr. Ryerson’s honor to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund @ curealz.org.

A Celebration of Life followed by a reception will be held for Mr. Ryerson at the Billow Funeral Home, 85 N. Miller Rd., Akron, OH 44333 at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

Services in care of the Billow Funeral Homes and Crematory, Fairlawn Chapel, 85 N. Miller Rd. Fairlawn, OH 44333.