DeVere W. “Rick” Ryckman, Sc.D., retired professor in the School of Engineering & Applied Science, died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, of complications of lymphoma at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur, Mo. He was 80 and lived in Ballwin, Mo.
Ryckman was in charge of setting up the environmental engineering department when he came to the University in 1956. He taught here as the A.P. Greensfelder Professor of Engineering for the next 15 years.
Recently, the Environmental Engineering Science Program — now headed by Pratim Biswas, Ph.D., the Stifel and Quinette Jens Professor of Environmental Engineering Science — established the Rick and Betty Ryckman Lecture Series. The annual event invites people to further promote environmental engineering science education.
Ryckman was reared on a farm in South Boardman, Mich. During World War II he served in the Navy as a member of the construction battalion, stationed in the Pacific. After the war, Ryckman earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. He earned a master’s from Michigan State University, and a doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both in environmental engineering.
From 1963-1975, Ryckman was a partner in the environmental consulting firm RETA (Ryckman, Edgerly Tomlinson and Associates). In 1975, he founded REACT (Ryckman, Emergency, Action and Consulting Team), which continues today on Sixth Street. His son, Stewart Ryckman of Ladue, is president of the company. His other son, Mark D. Ryckman of Atlanta, is the principal engineer of Remtech Engineers, another engineering consulting firm in Marietta, Ga.
Ryckman was a member of the William Greenleaf Eliot Society, the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, Mo., and the St. Louis downtown Rotary Club. He served on the board of the Salvation Army. He was a recipient of the Fuller Award from the American Water Works association and the Stanley E. Kappe Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.
Besides his sons, among the survivors are his wife of 55 years, Betty J. Ryckman; a daughter, Jill Ferguson of Chicago; three brothers, Seymour Ryckman of Dayton, Ohio, William Ryckman of northern Michigan, and Clesson Ryckman of south Boardman; two sisters, Gene Woodhams of northern Michigan and Virgil Uitvugt of Battle Creek, Mich; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to first Congregational Church of Webster Groves, 10 W. Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119, or the Salvation Army, 1130 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63139.