It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. The same is true with creating an organization to help children.

While the Ranch Ehrlo Society was founded by Dr. Geoff Pawson, he had many hands and hearts to help him move it from idea to reality. Two of his most steadfast companions during the building phase and beyond were Bob Ryan, former director and vice-president of residential care, and Jim Ennis, who headed up the of human resource department.

A group of long serving Ranch Ehrlo staff recently reminisced about the legacy the two  men left  the agency and  about them personally.

Remembering Jim and Bob

Bob with his daughter at the 3-mile race

“We did not have an event they didn’t come to,” Randy said.

“You could always find them in the coffee room at the Hudson too, because that’s where they could smoke and I was actually part of a lot of those meetings because working a night shift you’d stop and introduce yourself,” explained Ehrlo Housing manager Dave Shand.

Jane added, “They could keep their finger on the pulse there; feel when there was a little discontent, like they could deal with stuff at that coffee table. It was great.”

When they had the time, they’d pop out onto campus to see what the youth were up to after school or on holidays.

“Jim could settle a child within seconds,” Kate remembered. “His care and concern was completely evident; and his kindness, compassion and social ease made others feel safe and secure.”

“Sometimes on nightshift, if there was a youth in one of the group homes that wasn’t behaving (while) getting ready for school he’d be put in the Hudson building to wait for the unit manager to get in,” explained Shelley Sayer, director of Ehrlo Housing. “By the time they got in, Jim would already be having a conversation with them and the kid would be feeling pretty good - the unit manager wouldn’t have to do anything. He’d just send them off to school.”

Staff, too, felt a connection with both Jim and Bob.