John Joseph Ryzman died peacefully surrounded by family at T. Boone Pickens Cancer Center on March 26, 2015, in Dallas, TX.  John was 73. 

Mr. Ryzman was born in Denver, Colorado, on August 6, 1941 to his parents, Dorothy and Joseph Ryzman.  John proudly served in the U.S. Navy on the USS Montrose and the USS Estes, earning his GED along the way.  Following the Navy, John earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Wayland Baptist University and a Master’s degree from Amber University.  It is worth noting that John earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees while working full-time and raising a family.  John was never afraid of hard work and passed along a strong work ethic to his children.

John loved the criminal justice field and served as a detective in the Farmington, New Mexico Police Department, and as a sheriff’s deputy in Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in Colorado. In the early 70’s, he moved to Pampa, Texas, where he began as a patrolman and worked his way up through the ranks to Chief of Police.  During his time in Pampa, John met and married Pamela Parker.  They have been inseparable and the closest of friends ever since.  In 1987 he became the Chief of Police in Corsicana, Texas, where he served until his retirement from law enforcement in 1993.  In 1994, John began a second career with the City of Dallas in the Office of the City Auditor as a CFE and CIA and then for the City Controller’s Office Minority Business Opportunity as a CFE and CFSA.  John ultimately became the Section Manager of the Quartermaster and Fleet Management department of the City of Dallas Police Department before retiring in 2010.

In the midst of being a cancer survivor these last 13 years, John loved being a grandfather, working in his woodworking shop making gifts for those he loved, reading an endless number of books, and traveling with Pam to see family and see the world.  Those who knew John observed that he “never complained” serving as a positive influence on those around him as he pressed through his battle with cancer.  This was consistent with how John lived his life.  

Mr. Ryzman is survived by his wife, Pam Ryzman; sons, Joe Ryzman and David Ryzman; three daughters, Lara Luedtke, Valerie Mezel, and Belinda Wolff; eleven grandchildren; one great grandson; sisters, Beverly Brown, Sue Felmlee and Judy Uschak; and uncle, Austin Morton.

A funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m., Sunday, March 29, 2015 at Turrentine Jackson Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, TX (Highway 75 & Exit 38A – Ridgeview Dr.).  Interment is to follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park. The family will receive friends during a visitation Saturday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.

All are welcome to attend and celebrate John’s life.

Please donate in memory of John Ryzman to the Prostate Cancer Foundation or the American Cancer Society.