Bruce Ryerson

Middletown, RI - Bruce A. Ryerson, 55, of Middletown, died Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at home after a short illness. He was the longtime companion of Susan E. Madden. Born in Pontiac, MI on October 14, 1957, he was the son of the late Rogers and Margaret (Carr) Ryerson. Bruce grew up in Babylon, NY, and after high school he moved to Charleston, SC. He loved the ocean and would always try to find work so he could be near it. Bruce joined the Merchant Marine and travelled the world working on ships for the next several years. He then spent a couple of years travelling across the United States before moving to Rhode Island in 1989 to care for his grandparents. Once in Rhode Island he worked as a Master Carpenter and became a member of the Local 94 Carpenter's Union. Bruce was an excellent finish carpenter, was generous, loved people, very social, forged relationships with anyone he came in contact with. On his upcoming birthday this month, it will be his 17th anniversary of sobriety. He embraced the principles of AA for the last 17 years. Bruce and Susan enjoyed travelling, music festivals and concerts, exploring museums, camping and hiking, and spent hours walking the beaches, collecting beachglass. Besides his companion Susan, he is survived by his nephews, Jack Cahoon and Casey Cahoon of South Carolina, his aunt Ruth Bouliew of Saginaw, MI and his uncle Charles Ryerson of Princeton, NJ. He was the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Ryerson of Middletown, RI and the brother of the late Elizabeth Cahoon. Calling hours will be held on Sunday, October 6, 2013, from 6:00-8:00pm in the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport.His funeral will be held on Monday, October 7, 2013, at 10:30am, in Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport. Burial will be in Union Cemetery in Portsmouth.Donations in his memory may be made to Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties Hospice, 1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871 or to the Robert R. Potter League for Animals, PO Box 412, Newport, RI 02840. Cemetery Details Union Cemetery 309 Spring Street Newport, RI, 02840 Visitation OCT 6. 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM Memorial Funeral Home 375 Broadway Newport, RI, US, 02840 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.memorialfuneralhome.com Service OCT 7. 10:30 AM Memorial Funeral Home 375 Broadway Newport, RI, US, 02840 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.memorialfuneralhome.com