Home› General

Rest in Peace Mark Ryan

PappyJoePappyJoe Master
in General
https://www.parrishfh.com/obituary/mark-ryan
The pipe community has lost another good man. Mark Ryan was the driving force behind Daughters & Ryan pipe tobacco and owner of the L.A. Poche Perique Facility in St. James Parish.
I first met him in 2015 while on a tour of the facility and enjoyed several invitations to visit with him over the years.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • motie2motie2 Master

    <<Mark Ryan is a prominent figure in the American tobacco industry, best known as the founder and president of Daughters & Ryan, a company renowned for its high-quality pipe and roll-your-own (RYO) tobaccos. Established in 2002, Daughters & Ryan has become a staple among pipe smokers, offering a diverse range of blends that emphasize natural tobacco flavors without heavy additives. Some of their notable blends include Windsail, Three Sails, Ryback, PenHooker, and Cockstrong. 

    Beyond his work with Daughters & Ryan, Ryan is celebrated for his pivotal role in preserving Perique tobacco—a rare and uniquely fermented leaf grown exclusively in St. James Parish, Louisiana. In 2005, he acquired the historic L.A. Poche Perique Tobacco Co., which was then in a state of disrepair. Ryan invested heavily in restoring the facility and revitalizing the local farming community. He expanded the number of fermentation presses from 80 to over 400 and provided resources such as greenhouses to farmers to modernize cultivation practices. His efforts have been instrumental in safeguarding the traditional methods of producing authentic Perique tobacco. 

    In 2020, Ryan sold a majority stake in Daughters & Ryan to Inter-Continental Trading USA. He stated that the decision was aimed at ensuring the continued availability of their pipe tobaccos and addressing manufacturing challenges, such as relocating production from the Philippines to the United States. Despite the sale, Ryan retained ownership of the L.A. Poche Perique Tobacco Co., underscoring his commitment to preserving this unique tobacco variety. He also indicated plans to remain with Daughters & Ryan for at least five more years following the transaction.

    Mark Ryan is widely regarded as a steward of tobacco tradition, particularly for his dedication to maintaining the heritage of Perique tobacco. His contributions have not only preserved a rare tobacco variety but have also reinforced the cultural significance of tobacco craftsmanship in the United States.>>


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • motie2motie2 Master

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ghostsofpompeiighostsofpompeii Master
    Sorry to hear about this. My prayers go out to his family.
    Need to get a picture of Mark smoking a pipe instead of a cigar.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • motie2motie2 Master
    edited May 11
    @ghostsofpompeii

    Interesting. Most photos of Mark Ryan smoking are of him smoking a cigar.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • motie2motie2 Master
    <<There is no verified photograph in the search results of Mark Ryan, the cultivator of perique tobacco, specifically smoking a pipe.

    • Articles and interviews discuss Mark Ryan’s pivotal role in saving and producing perique tobacco, and several YouTube videos feature him discussing his work and legacy.

    • However, none of the provided sources include or reference a picture of Mark Ryan actually smoking a pipe.

    You may find video interviews or documentaries about him on YouTube, but based on the current search results, an image of Mark Ryan smoking a pipe could not be found.>>
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • motie2motie2 Master
    <<As of my current knowledge, there are no widely known or publicly available photographs of Mark Ryan—the cultivator of perique tobacco at the L.A. Poche Perique Tobacco company in St. James Parish, Louisiana—smoking a pipe. While Ryan is a prominent figure in the niche world of perique tobacco production, his personal habits (such as pipe smoking) haven't been prominently documented in images.

    Why This Might Be Hard to Find:  

    1. **Privacy/Focus on Profession** – Ryan is often photographed working with tobacco (processing, drying, etc.), but not necessarily smoking it.  
    2. **Limited Publicity** – Perique tobacco is a small, specialized industry, and personal moments like pipe smoking may not have been published.  
    3. **Cultural/Professional Context** – Some tobacco farmers don’t necessarily smoke their own product publicly, even if they appreciate it.  

    Suggestions:  

    - Check **tobacco industry forums** (e.g., Pipe Smokers Den, PipesMagazine) for user-shared photos.  
    - Reach out to **L.A. Poche Perique** directly—they might have unpublished archives.  
    - Search **Louisiana agricultural documentaries** or local news features on perique.  >>
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • PappyJoePappyJoe Master
    Actually, Mark Ryan was a cigarette and cigar smoker. I never saw him smoke a pipe. I had the impression that if he did try the pipe tobacco it was with a small tasting pipe and not a regular pipe.
    He had blenders working for him to develop the different D&R blends.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • motie2motie2 Master
    Againn, thanks @PappyJoe.

    For the savior of Perique, I’d expect a pipe smoker. Just goes to show ya!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.