Dag Ryen, 1945-2020

It is with great sorrow that the Patterson School reports the passing of Dag Ryen, who left us in December 2020 after a battle with cancer.  Dag was resting comfortably at home with family by his side until the end.

Dag was born on his parents’ farm in Ringsaker, Norway. The family emigrated to the United States after receiving an offer to become a farm manager. Dag grew up surrounded by horses, eventually graduating from Lafayette Senior High School and attending Princeton University.

After spending some time in Norway and meeting his wife Lajla, Dag returned to Lexington and embraced a multitude of roles. He authored several books—including Traces; The Story of Lexington’s Past, a text for local elementary school classes, and This Trembling Land, a historical young adult novel. He reviewed theater productions for the Lexington Herald-Leader and Southern Theater, and was the executive editor for State Government News, a publication of the Council of State Governments.

In the late 1990s Dag began teaching courses at the Patterson School, through which he met many wonderful students whose achievements filled him with pride for many years. In 2005, Dag & Lajla relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dag became an active hike leader for the local Northern New Mexico Sierra Club. Between his civic work and hiking, Dag also found time to write a third book, Hardboot Rules, about a teenager coming of age on a horse farm in Kentucky.

A gentle and wise man, Dag brought great joy to many people. He will be sorely missed.

This obituary is an edited and condensed version of a post that appeared on Dag Ryen’s Facebook page.