Alan Kenneth Ryker

Alan was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Barney and Jane Ryker. Alan loved growing up in 1950s Phoenix, and it shaped his mentality and his philosophy of life. Until the end he referred to himself as a Barry Goldwater Republican.

He attended school in Phoenix until accepting a position with Montgomery Ward, becoming a buyer in short order and transferring to their headquarters in Chicago. Alan had an amazing gift for marketing and sales, and his ability to look at a product and predict its popularity and price was nothing short of remarkable. His interest in clocks and cameras started early in Phoenix and lasted throughout his life. As his career progressed, Alan became instrumental in the importation of European clocks into the USA. He was fortunate to work in an industry he loved and that allowed him to travel all over the world.

Alan's travels took him to many continents and dozens of countries, making lifelong friends along the way. He loved learning and adapting to other cultures, their cuisine and their customs. He was certainly a believer in the adage "when in Rome..." He used his self-taught German during travels in Germany, and relied on English elsewhere when you could often find him in a coffee shop chatting with the locals who spoke only their own language. He always said "but we understand each other!”

In Chicago, Alan met and married his lifelong partner, Cris. Together they raised her daughter, Erika. During his time in Chicago Alan grew to love the city, the Bears, and the Lakefront. His passion for boating and sailing began in Chicago and followed him to Florida.

In 1990 Alan and Cris found Naples, Florida and Alan fell in love once again! He embraced his beloved Naples, the climate and the people. He became a tireless advocate of cycling and healthy outdoor activity in the city. He was one of the original founders of the Naples Pathways Coalition, an advocacy group for non-motorized travel. He worked to establish bike paths and the Gordon River Greenway and to have sidewalks installed for the benefit of all the residents. For over thirty years you could find Alan most days on his bike, solo or with friends, a serious cyclist enjoying his hobby on the streets of Naples and on streets and trails all over the world. Many people grew to recognize what looked like a giraffe whizzing through town on a bicycle!

If he was not cycling, you could find him and Cris on hiking trails wherever there are mountains: the Rockies, the Alps, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and the Milford Track in New Zealand to name a few.

Alan leaves behind an untold number of people whose lives he touched; a natural teacher. His patience in teaching one person to drive, another to sail and yet another long distance biking was inexhaustible.

He is survived by his loving wife, Cris, and daughters Lori Ryker and Erika Lavin; his grandchildren, Megan Wilson, Monica Ginocchio, Hope and Jakob Hildebrandt, and his great-granddaughter, Eloise Wilson. In the last few weeks and months, an untold number of family and friends came from all over to spend time with him and say goodbye before he left us, a testament to how much he was loved. If you knew or met him, you remember what a lovely human being he was to all of us. We will miss him.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Naples Pathways Coalition or to Avow Hospice.