House fire kills elderly Teaneck couple

<p>An early morning house fire claimed the lives of a Teaneck couple in their 80s.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jan 28, 2018, 2:25 PM

Updated 2,418 days ago

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An early morning house fire claimed the lives of a Teaneck couple in their 80s.
Officials say that the fire started around 6:30 a.m. Sunday at the couple’s Sherman Avenue home. It also spread to a neighboring home, badly damaging it.
Neighbors identified the couple as Jerry and Roseanne Ryan. They say that both victims were 81 years old and were well-known in the neighborhood.
“He was always very friendly and always had a smile on his face. That's what always moved me so much, that smile,” says neighbor Ed Glasser.
Witnesses tell News 12 New Jersey that smoke and flames were pouring out of the home when it first started.
The body of one of the victims was found Sunday after the fire. Crews were able to find the second body Monday.
The Ryans were longtime members of Saint John Catholic Church in Bergenfield. Monsignor Richard Arnhols says that the couple were devoted parishioners.
“Very much devoted. Devoted to faith, devoted to family, devoted to people,” Arnhols says.
The people who live in the neighboring house that was damaged by the fire will not be able to return to the home until repairs are made.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Neighbors say that Roseanne Ryan used an oxygen tank but it is unclear if that played a role in the fire.