A longtime member of the Saturday Night Live family has passed away.
Bob Van Ry, a veteran stage manager who worked on SNL for 25 years, passed away on July 2. He was 89 years old.
Adam Sandler, who was a cast member on SNL from 1990 to 1995, posted a tribute to Van Ry on Instagram. “We all loved this man so much,” he wrote alongside a photo of his former colleague. “Sending sympathy to his entire family.”
According to an obituary, Van Ry—who was born in Hawthorne, New Jersey—served in the United States Army after graduating from Fairleigh Dickenson University in 1957. Following his service, he became a stage manager for NBC Television, “a position he held for over 39 years.”
Van Ry worked as a stage manager on Saturday Night Live between 1975 and 2001, beginning with the show’s debut episode in October 1975. His IMDb page also lists numerous onscreen appearances.
Van Ry’s credits date back to the 1965 musical variety series Hullabaloo. He went on to serve as stage manager for The Sammy Davis Jr. Show, What’s My Line?, The Kraft Music Hall, and The Doctors. Van Ry also worked on numerous Miss America Pageants, Super Bowls, World Series, and political conventions.
In addition to SNL, Van Ry’s late night work included several episodes of Late Night with David Letterman.
In 2001, Van Ry received the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America. He had become a DGA member in 1964.
