William Normand Ryan M.D., 1943-2026

Dr. William “Bill” Normand Ryan, M.D., 82, of Yardley, PA, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

Born on November 4, 1943, in Philadelphia, Bill was the only child of William and Beatrice Ryan of Lafayette Hill, PA. He attended Malvern Preparatory School, then Villanova University on a full scholarship, earning a B.S. in Biology, summa cum laude, in 1965. It was his childhood dream to become a doctor, and so he went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, earning an M.D. degree in 1969. Following an internship and residency at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia, he completed a two-year fellowship in Hematology sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

During the final year of his fellowship, Bill married Cynthia Mezalis of Pennsauken, NJ. Their November 17, 1973, wedding ceremony took place at St. Stephen’s Church in Pennsauken, followed by a reception at the Starlight Room at the Cherry Hill Inn.

After completing his studies, Bill joined the medical staff at Mercer Medical Center in Trenton, NJ, as a board-certified specialist in Internal Medicine. From 1974 to 1977, Bill also held a teaching position as Clinical Associate of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. At the same time, he maintained a private medical practice in Trenton, which he later moved to Ewing, NJ. In 1988, he became Director of Clinic at Mercer Hospital, a position he held until 1993, when a chronic medical condition caused him to retire early from medicine.

Bill was a member of the American Medical Society, the Medical Society of New Jersey, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and the Mercer County Medical Society, where he authored a regular column in their monthly magazine.

Preceded in death by his parents, William and Beatrice Ryan of Lafayette Hill, PA, Bill is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Cynthia Ryan of Yardley, PA, as well as his son, Jeffrey Ryan, and grandsons, William, Patrick, and Andrew Ryan of Colorado Springs, CO, and his daughter, Rachael Ryan of Oakland, CA.

A member of St. Ignatius Church in Yardley, PA, and a regular communicant of St. John the Evangelist Church in Morrisville, PA, Bill was a devoted fan of the Phillies, Eagles, and Villanova Wildcats. He was also a voracious reader, with a huge range of interests, including American history, wine, financial markets, and science. Bill was also passionate about constructing his family tree, and he cherished his weekly restaurant dates with his wife.

Funer services were held privately for the family.  Arrangements are under the care of the FitzGerald-Sommer Funeral Home, 17 S. Delaware Avenue, Yardley, PA 19067. Condolences for the family can be left at www.fitzgeraldsommerfuneralhome.com.