BRUNSWICK — Richard J. Ryerson, “Dick,” 70, of Brunswick, passed away on Friday, Sept 16, at Mid Coast Hospital. He lost a long battle with a rare blood disease that turned into leukemia.

Dick was born on Aug. 29, 1941, in South Paris. He graduated from Edward Little High School in 1959, and enlisted in the Air Force. In 1960, he married Judith Ann Bickford of Auburn.

After serving seven years in the Air Force, Dick returned to Maine and attended the University of Maine, receiving a master’s degree in education.

Following that, Dick was appointed to teach science at Gray/New Gloucester High School. While at G/NG, Dick was the recipient of the Ford Foundation Grant for a mobile lab science bus that was equipped to teach science outdoors year-round and a Federal grant for Work Study for potential dropouts.

In 1975, he was appointed to the position of principal at Gray/New Gloucester. In 1981, Dick, along with Adra Lovely, co-founded Windham Assembly Christian Academy. He served in this position as administrator until 1991, choosing to further a career in real estate and development, developing a campground in Poland Spring.

Dick and his wife Judi were very active in many church ministries at Windham Assembly of God and Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Greater Portland, serving as elders and developing a marriage encounter ministry for the Vineyard.

In 2004, they moved to Sanford to plant and pastor the Sanford Vineyard Church. After four years, they moved to Lewiston to help plant churches and became a part of the Pathway Vineyard Church, where Dick was an administrator on staff.

In 2009, Dick and Judi moved to Brunswick to serve as the site pastors for the new multi-site Vineyard Church. Ministry and teaching others how to serve was a part of Dick’s life.

He loved helping other people learn and he had just recently finished a coaching course that was designed to coach people into a new level of business or church ministry.

He was a member of Pathway Vineyard Church in Lewiston.

Dick is survived by his wife, Judi of 51 years; two daughters; two sisters; one brother; and five grandchildren.