Edmund W. Ryll

Edmund W. (Ted) Ryll, 60, died unexpectedly on Tuesday morning, January 21, 2014. He was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, the son of Edmund and Thurley (Ware) Ryll. He grew up on Michigan Street in Winchester, attended local schools and graduated from Thayer High School in 1971.

Ted loved the outdoors, learning to admire and respect the beauty of nature at a very young age. He learned a great deal about trees and working with wood, and used this knowledge his entire life, carrying on a long family tradition. In his early adulthood, he worked for the family business, the Winchester Reel Company, and for the New England Box Company, but soon let his curiosity and interest lead him in other directions.

Ted became a fine craftsman, building three sugar houses and creating beautiful wooden bowls and cutting boards. He could fix, install, create from scratch, make do, patch, and design just about anything. He taught himself how to make maple syrup, tapping his own trees and sharing the sugaring process and storytelling with anyone who stopped by to watch the sap boil. He became an excellent photographer, and especially enjoyed doing weddings and investigative photography. His latest project was a larger-than-life cider press that he made from trees on the property, and made cider from the apple orchard in his back yard. He enjoyed kayaking in Pisgah and on Forest Lake.

He cared deeply about Winchester, serving on countless boards and committees, including the Board of Selectmen, the Winchester Budget Committee, and was extremely proud of being on the Board of Incorporators of the Ellen Lambert Murphy Memorial Community Center. If he wasn't working on a project, he could often be found at the Town Hall, swapping advice and filling in for various departments. He was kind to everyone.

Ted leaves his mother of Winchester, his beloved daughter, Skylar, of Modesto, California, and his partner and best friend, Karen Young of Jamaica, Vermont. He also leaves his sisters, Gloria Dintino and husband Bob of Bow, Marcia Ammann and husband Jim of Winchester, and Pam and husband Bryan of Stoddard, nieces and nephews. His father, Edmund Ryll, died in 2001.

Services will be held on Sunday, January 26, at 2:00 p.m. at the United Church of Winchester. Refreshments will be served in the fellowship hall following the service. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad, 6068 Route 100, Londonderry, VT 05148 or the Jamaica Volunteer Fire & Rescue, PO Box 285, Jamaica, VT 05343.