Marion Lorraine Ranyak

1925 - 2018

Marion Lorraine Ranyak

Rye - Marion Lorraine Ranyak, longtime resident of Rye, NY, passed away peacefully at age 93 on August 22, 2018 in Stamford, CT. Marion was born on January 25, 1925 to Carolyn and William Hannig in New York City. She grew up in Riverdale, NY and attended The High School of Music and Art. The family summered in Northport, Long Island, where she and her brother, Bill, spent many days on the tennis court. Marion was an ardent Yankees fan her whole life, having grown up in the neighborhood of Lou Gehrig and other players. Marion received a degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College and taught school for several years, applying progressive teaching methods. She raised her three children in the same spirit, with encouragement and freedom to explore and grow.

Marion studied Abstract Expressionism with Hans Hoffman in Provincetown, MA, which helped shape her approach to art and aesthetics. Her passion for art brought her together with 19 other women artists who founded SOHO20 in 1973, one of the first co-op galleries in Manhattan to showcase the work of an all women membership. Marion achieved great success as an American artist, and her works were frequently seen in juried shows and galleries in the New York and Connecticut area. Marion Ranyak art displays her catalogue raisonné, https://marion.ranyak.art.

Marion was an active supporter of many liberal causes, feeling a deep sense of obligation to help those less fortunate, and an early advocate of the feminist movement. Her perpetual sense of humor and optimism lightened the mood of all those around her. She loved competitive tennis, organic gardening, playing the guitar, and socializing with her book club. She enjoyed traveling, as seen in her landscape paintings from across America, Italy, and Greece. Marion was preceded in death by her sister, Eleanor Zucker. She is survived by her three children, Tina Slavin, Mark Ranyak, and Paul Ranyak; and her brother, William Hannig, Jr. She enjoyed her seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Marion was a tremendous inspiration to all who knew her as an independent, forward-thinking, and conscientious person who developed and shared her talents throughout her life.

A Celebration of Life will be planned in 2019. Those who wish may donate in Marion's name to the Rye Art Center https://www.ryeartscenter.org.