Terri and Bob Ryan

To say that Terri and Bob are devoted opera fans is an understatement. A newspaper interviewer even called them “opera junkies.” They’ve been known to leave family gatherings at the Holidays to attend the Opera. And volunteering at San Francisco Opera is a way of life. They’ve stamped parking passes, stuffed envelopes, set up and knocked down countless folding chairs, ushered, been ticket takers, worked in the Opera Shop, picked people up at the airport, chauffeured visiting artists to the grocery store, and hosted singers, accompanists, directors, and anyone else the Opera Company has needed temporary housing for, to name just a few of their volunteer skills. The Ryans have made many, many close friends, both within the Company and with visiting artists over the years. Traveling to see their friends perform has taken them to many wonderful locales, from Paris and Vienna to Sarasota, but returning to San Francisco is always the best part of the journey. Opera occupies the majority of their time and resources now, and they’ve made sure it will continue to be supported after they’re gone, by making San Francisco Opera Association the beneficiary of their retirement accounts. As Bob says, “Obsessed? Well, yes. We can think of worse things to be addicted to.”