Free Press – September 25, 2008

Nancy Peters Ryan

Dear Friends,

Good morning. I thought of Nancy Peters Ryan of Quakertown as Mighty Betsy and I attended the memorial service of Alexandra “Bimi” Basinski at the Morris Arboretum last Saturday. Bimi was the better half of one of my rowing friends, John Basinski. She was only 59. We dedicated a beautiful, “weeping” beech tree, which overlooks the valley where the Arboretum lies near Chestnut Hill, one of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. That beech tree occupies Bimi’s favorite place at the Arboretum.

Nearby stands a 30-foot weathervane sculpture, which Nancy Peters Ryan gave to the Arboretum. One of my rowing friends presides over the Morris Arboretum. Paul Meyer told this story about her.

Nancy loved the Arboretum and took many classes there. “Nancy brought a cake to celebrate the end of the course,” Paul began. “She loved the weathervane and how its two arms moved. Nancy wanted to send a thank you letter to the person who made the sculpture possible. When I told her that the sculpture was on loan to the Arboretum; that no one had purchased it for the Arboretum and that it would be returned to George Rickey (the sculptor), Nancy said… “Oh no it’s not.”

“Within days, Nancy and her husband contributed $200,000 to make “Two Lines Variable” [as the weathervane is called] permanent for the Arboretum. We are indebted to Nancy’s love of the arboretum and her generosity,” Paul told me.

One of the Morris Arboretum brochures describes the sculpture.

“Our entry into the Arboretum is marked by an elegant gleaming silver weathervane, a visible sign of an invisible force. Balance and movement are the essence of this sculpture, its arms silently moved by the wind. Sit on the hill and watch its delicate play: the burnished stainless steel cuts a line through the sky, the arms splay, twirl and then yield to nature’s force. Two Lines marks the site where the Arboretum’s founders, John and Lydia Morris, lived in a Victorian mansion.

“Dedicated in 1993 to the wonder of children, Two Lines was the gift of Nancy Ryan Peters (University of Pennsylvania Class of 1961).”

A few weeks ago, Mary Deaterly Hanisch wrote to me with the news that Nancy had passed away. Brain cancer took her from us. Nancy was about 80 and had no children. The Deaterly’s were Nancy’s relatives and neighbors.

I remember Nancy Peters Ryan vividly when I was in the third grade at the Franklin School on Franklin Street. I was nine when she lived across the street from the school. Nancy was probably ten years older than I and she was beautiful…heads turned when she walked down the street.

And speaking about Franklin Street…Nancy’s home was nominated as a candidate for the Properties of Merit contest in Quakertown. It is one of the prettiest homes in the borough. The floral arrangements decorate the property handsomely. You can see Nancy’s gardening influence everywhere.

Paul Meyer wrote an article about Nancy when the Morris Arboretum honored her in 2007.

“Nancy first came to know the Morris Arboretum as a botany student at the University of Pennsylvania,” Meyer began. “She spent many hours in Compton, the Morris mansion as well as Gates hall. The garden was Nancy’s real classroom and she remembers fondly studying in the grotto under the Mercury Loggia on very hot days.

“Nancy has always been extremely grateful for her Penn education,” Meyer continued. “The Morris Arboretum is one of Penn’s greatest treasures. Her long-term goal is to help the University see the importance of the Arboretum. As a member of the Development Committee, Nancy has worked with the Arboretum staff to get several University departments to the Arboretum for retreats or meetings.

“Nancy has generously supported the restoration of a number of historic features at the Arboretum believing they contribute greatly to the uniqueness of this garden. She has supported the restoration of the Love Temple, Spring House and Mercury Loggia.

“She also underwrote the creation of the Green Man sculpture carved from an old beech stump. Nancy dedicated this gift to the Horticulture staff who do so much to keep the Arboretum beautiful.”

Paul told me about the plans for a special Halloween celebration involving the Green Man. Years have rotted away the stump so the Arboretum will burn the remains. And, what better night to do it than on Halloween! Wouldn’t Nancy Peters howl with laughter? You bet she would. Mighty Betsy and I will be there. And we’ll give a toast to the woman who made it possible…Nancy Peters Ryan. She dedicated her life and her fortune to the Arboretum so the public could enjoy nature’s beauty.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith

PS. I’ll be writing about State Representative Paul Clymer and his opponent, Tom Peterson in the Oct. 2 and 9 editions of the Free Press. Stay tuned