May 7, 2024 By Amy Fauth 4 min read

Norma Ryan wasn’t just from Brownsville. She was Brownsville.

Ask anyone who knew her and they’ll tell you Ryan was an unstoppable force when it came to the borough, its history and its people.

On April 30, Ryan, who was 92, passed away.

Although she was living in Florida, Ryan’s heart was never far from her hometown, said friends and colleagues.

“She was the biggest cheerleader for the town,” said borough Mayor Ross Swords.

Ryan, who became the borough’s first female mayor in 2002, was an inspiration to him, said Swords. She encouraged him to run for borough council, and then for mayor.

In both roles, Swords said he always enjoyed having Ryan on his team – even when they didn’t agree. Ryan was a founding member of the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp., and one of the nonprofit’s key focuses is preserving the many historical buildings in the borough.

That, said Swords, was often the source of their disagreements. Some buildings were too dilapidated to rehabilitate, he said.

Ryan’s opinion often differed.

“She wanted to save everything she could,” he said.

Last year, Ryan’s many accomplishments were highlighted in a video produced by Heinz History Center’s HCAP Digital Stories entitled “The Woman Who Shaped Brownsville.” The video chronicled Ryan’s life, including her many contributions to Brownsville through BARC, her time on council, and as mayor.

Both Fayette County Commissioner Vince Vicites and Laura Kuhns, executive director of the Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, worked with Ryan on revitalization efforts.

“She always saw the potential,” said Kuhns. “She was rare. There’s not a lot of Normas out there.”

Kuhns is a member of “Team Norma,” a group who knew her vision, and wanted to work toward executing it. Team members, who had T-shirts made up with Ryan’s face on them, will keep moving forward on projects near and dear to Ryan’s heart, Kuhns said. One involves rehabilitation at the Rose Mansion in the North Side Historic District in Brownsville.

Once that project is complete, it will be a wonderful tribute to her friend, said Kuhns.

“She always inspired you to want to do more,” said Kuhns. “We hope to make something happen in her memory.”

Vicites, too, has fond memories of teaming up with Ryan on a number of projects.

“I worked well with Norma for many years on revitalization efforts for Brownsville,” he said.

“She loved Brownsville. Her heart was with Brownsville. She will be missed.”

Vicites said although she was living in Florida where she had family, she traveled back and forth to Brownsville up until recently. They kept in touch and spoke a week and a half ago.

Swords said even from several states away, Ryan stayed involved virtually, attending BARC meetings.

Her colleagues at BARC paid tribute to her on the organization’s Facebook page, calling Ryan a “most extraordinary and dedicated founder, visionary board member, committed volunteer, tour guide, and friend.”

“We are eternally grateful to Norma for her selfless love of Brownsville and her tireless dedication to BARC. Let us all be like Norma – selfless, passionate, and determined to give back to the community of Brownsville to highlight its rich history as a conduit for future development and revitalization,” the post read.

The BARC post ended with advice Ryan often gave – to “stop and smell the roses.”

Many others also took to social media to express their sadness and condolences, including Brionna Staggers, whose mother Candy worked with Ryan at BARC for nearly 25 years.

“Norma was the heart of Brownsville. If you knew her, you knew that. She knew everything and everyone (in) Brownsville,” Staggers wrote.

Given her unwavering dedication to the borough, some might say Brownsville left an impression on Ryan. According to those who know her, the more accurate sentiment is that Ryan left an impression on Brownsville.

“Norma is going to be hard to replace,” said Swords. “She was definitely an anchor in this town.”