Allen Ryon

Allen D. Ryon, 98, of Oak Ridge, died October 17, 2018. He was born March 18, 1920,
the son of Glenn and Geneva Ryon, in Scipio Township, Seneca County, Ohio.
Mr. Ryon was a graduate of Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio. He came to Oak Ridge
from Henderson, Nevada in 1944 where he joined the Materials Chemistry Division in Y-
12. Later he transferred to the Chemical Technology Division at the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory from which he retired in January 1983.
Mr. Ryon was a leader in research and development of processes required for extraction
of uranium from ores, nuclear fuel preparation, preprocessing irradiated fuel, and waste
disposal. He had several patents and many articles in scientific literature. He was a
member of the American Chemical Society and his biography was in American Men and
Women of Science.
Mr. Ryon was a long-time member of the First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge.
He also was a member of the Elk Lodge, #1684 for many years. He enjoyed square
dancing, bowling, and poker. He was an ardent fisherman focusing on walleye in recent
years. He also assisted the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency by correlating data and
sampling the fisheries in Norris and Dale Hollow Reservoirs.
Mr. Ryon was preceded in death by his wife, Annabelle Daywalt Ryon, with whom he
had been married nearly 70 years. He is survived by son, Richard and wife Cheryl of
Petersburg, TN; daughter, Patricia of Oak Ridge; son, Michael and wife Leslie of
Farragut; seven grandchildren, Hayley Ryon, Kelsey Ryon, Paul Ryon, Renee Chambley
Maples and husband Marc, Clayton Ryon and wife Katrina, Preston Ryon and wife
Jennifer, David Head and wife Mia; five great-grandchildren, Spencer Huff and husband
Brian, Mallory, Eliza, and Caroline Maples, and Preston Ryon; and his sister, Alice
Bishop of Sarasota, Florida.
A private viewing will be at 1 pm on Monday, October 22, 2018 at Martin Oak Ridge
Funeral Home. Internment services will be held that same day at 2:30 pm at Anderson
Memorial Gardens, Rev. Jenny Caughman officiating. The family would like to
acknowledge and thank the staff of caregivers from Professional Case Management for
their help and service to Mr. Ryon during his later years. Online messages may be left for the family at http://www.martinfuneralhomeoiakridge.com . Services entrusted to Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home 865-483-4341