Joan Van Ryzin, a local artist and office manager, died Nov. 24 from cancer. She was 53.
Van Ryzin lived in the Fort Hunt section of Alexandria for more than 20 years. Since 2006, she served as office manager at LS2PC Land Surveying Services in Falls Church. She also worked as a systems analyst at Freddie Mac in the late 1980s.
Van Ryzin was a lifelong artist and nature enthusiast. For 10 years, she and her sister created pressed flower artwork, which they exhibited and sold at juried shows at Mount Vernon, the U.S. National Arboretum, the Waterford Fair in Waterford, Va., and the Philadelphia Flower Show. Throughout her life, she also created hundreds of watercolor paintings of the natural world.
Born in Missouri in 1955, Van Ryzin spent most of her youth growing up in New York and New Jersey. She moved to Virginia in the early 1980s, settling first in Manassas and then in Alexandria.
Van Ryzin is survived by her son, a large family, and many friends. A memorial service to celebrate her life is planned for Dec. 20 at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria. The service will begin at 1 p.m., followed by a reception from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Huntley Meadows Park, www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/huntley, 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria, VA 22306.