John Ritch Lyon II

John Ritch Lyon II, 65, passed away on July 13, 2023 in Fayetteville, NC following a two year battle with cancer. He was born on April 23, 1958 in Greenwich, CT. Raised locally, he was a 9th generation resident of the town, with the first Lyon, Thomas Lyon, settling in Greenwich around 1650. As a child John grew up on 150 acres of land, much of which is the Lyon Farm subdivision in Glenville today.  Lyon Farm ran until 1970. John attended Greenwich Country Day School, and Rectory followed by Avon Old Farms in high school. He was number one on the varsity tennis team as a freshman at Avon and was a dedicated player during his four years there. He played in the Junior Orange Bowl in 1972 in Coral Gables, Florida and many USLTA tennis tournaments. He was a ranked tennis player in New England in the early 1970's.John attended Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland and later completed his studies at Grandview College. Along with tennis, John was also passionate about nature and wildlife. He knew an immense amount of knowledge about the outdoors and various animals and their habitats. In his 20's he owned a tree farm in Vermont. He enjoyed bird watching and traveled many places to observe animals. An avid reader and sometimes writer, he self-published two books. One of rhymes, and the other a history of his family’s farm. John lived in the Northeast, Midwest, and the South, during different periods of his life. John worked in property oversight, and as a realtor. In recent years he had retired to Fayetteville, NC. His grit, spirit, and sense of humor never wavered when his health was in decline. Standing at 6 ft 4 he was a gentle giant. His larger than life presence will be missed greatly. He is survived by his daughter Stephanie A. Lyon and her fiancé, Andrew Lewis, both of Greenwich and his son John R. Lyon III of Fayetteville, NC.  As well as his brother, Dean Ivey of Aiken, SC. He is preceded in death by his former spouse Lisa Branjord Lyon, father John R. Lyon, mother Sherrill Ivey Lyon Foster and brother Scott E. Ivey. There will be a private memorial for family to be announced at a later time. 



 

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