Ryan, 70, died Saturday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania following complications from stomach cancer.
Hundreds of people filed through the ornate Capitol Rotunda during a two-hour period yesterday to pay their respects and to offer condolences to his wife, Delaware County Court Judge Patricia H. Jenkins, and three daughters and a son who were present.
The Delaware County Republican served for more than 40 years in the statehouse. He was the third-longest-serving speaker and second-longest-serving lawmaker in Pennsylvania history.
The Rotunda ceremony, led by a Marine honor guard, was organized at the request of Ryan's family, officials said.
The families of other high-ranking state officials have chosen different memorials. The casket containing the body of Gov. Robert P. Casey, for instance, was on view for two days at Marywood University in his hometown of Scranton after his death in 2000.
Rep. Jim Wansacz (D., Lackawanna), who was among those paying tribute to Ryan yesterday, called the honor "a fitting tribute for someone who dies in office. He deserved this."
Ryan's funeral is scheduled for noon tomorrow at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Media. Ryan will be buried in a family plot at Calvary Cemetery in West Conshohocken.
Contact staff writer Amy Worden at 717-783-2584 or aworden@phillynews.com.
