Mary Ellen Ryder

Mary Ellen Ryder was a Boise State University linguistics professor who died on August 25, 2008, after a rapidly moving grass fire engulfed her southeast Boise home. Her husband, Peter Ryder escaped the blaze, which destroyed at least nine other homes in the area.¹

Fast Facts

1. Occupation: Professor of Linguistics, Boise State University¹
2. Residence: 3594 Immigrant Pass, Boise, Idaho²
3. Survived two incidences of breast cancer³
4. Named Faculty Member of the Year in 1995²
5. Taught at Boise State for 20 years³
6. Scheduled to begin new semester on August 26, 2008²

The Fire

Police tried to evacuate houses in the path of the brushfire, which quickly engulfed at least nine homes.⁴ Ryder's body was found after a secondary search of the home, and while it is believed she died in the fire, a cause of death has not yet been determined.¹

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