Jenny B. Lyons and Richard “Dick” Lyons Bio

Both are native Marylander’s. Jenny was born in Accident, Md. shortly after WWII, Dick is a war baby born in Baltimore. His parents were both from West Virginia but met at Glen L. Martin Co. building airplanes for the effort.

Jen’s father entered the army before the war and was mounted cavalry. He was in Patton’s army and was marooned in Bastogne. Dick’s dad (a Sunnysider) served in the Philippines arriving in Tokyo 7 days after the armistice.

In 1959, Dick’s parents purchased a restaurant in Mt. Storm, WV where Dick’s mother had worked at age 16. Jen and Dick grew up on the Appalachian Plateau. It was only 6 miles from Dick's home to the Maryland line in far western Garrett County, Jen’s home. In March 1968 Dick was teaching high school and was asked to chaperone a Youth for Christ skating party so he did. The bus they went on was owned by Jen’s uncle Roger. Jen went along with his story of not being a good skater and it was not hard for her to catch him. Dick asked her to save him a seat on the bus. Some of you may remember Ozzie and Harriet and the irrepressible Ricky. Well Jen’s brother Rick was sitting with them, looked over and said “I’m glad you met Jen tonight, Mom and Dad thought she was never going to get married”. There you have it; Dick told her he was not going to drive in the snow all winter to date, will she marry him. October 12, 1968 she did. After they moved to Harrisonburg for Dick to work for Sunnyside, Jenny began her work at JMU, which evolved to her purchase of many properties for the University. They have three great children, Amy, Josh (whom many of you know) and Betsy, who worked in the Sunnyside family, but is now at VMRC. They enjoy their four teenage athletic grandchildren. Both Dick and Jen are grateful and blessed to be at SUNNYSIDE.

--By Cindy Westley