Jean W. Ryan

Jean was born in Jamaica, NY and spent most of her life on Long Island. She attended the Mary Louis Academy in Queens and graduated from Fordham University in 1950. Her graduate work was done at Fordham and Columbia University. Before marrying James Anthony Ryan she taught grade school in New Hyde Park and Garden City for four years. While raising five children she was a substitute teacher in the Hicksville Public School District and later worked for seven years in the Hicksville Public Library and for Act Media, a marketing company. Her abiding interest in politics prompted her to run for a seat in the State Assembly on the N.Y State Right to Life Party line. She was also the treasurer of the party for twelve years. She was a long-standing member of the Holy Family Rosary Society as well as the Marion Guild of St. Paul the Apostle of Brookville and served on their Parish Council for ten years. Summer vacations were spent traveling to twenty-five countries, including China and Russia. Other interests included reading, crafts, and opera. Her interest in music and the death of her husband from leukemia led her to join the Friends of the Jose Carreras International Leukemia Foundation, which raises money for research. She has been active in fund-raising efforts for this organization for twelve years. Her greatest accomplishments, however, were raising her five sons: James of Clinton Corners, NY, Robert of Hicksville, NY, Kevin of Portsmouth, RI, Gerard of Guilderland, NY, and Timothy of Hicksville, NY. She was also blessed with two lovely daughter-in-laws, Eileen of Portsmouth, RI and Jeanne of Guilderland, NY. She was the proud grandmother of Clare, Patrick, John Paul, Anne, Kevin (Sarah), Kerry, Erin (Jarrod) and Jessica and proud great-grandmother of Emma and Madison. A wake will be held at Vernon C. Wagner, Old Country Rd. Hicksville on December 27, from 2-4 and 6-8pm. The funeral mass will take place December 28,10am, at Holy Family Church, 17 Fordham Ave, Hicksville. Entombment will be at Holy Rood Ascension Chapel in Westbury. In Lieu of flowers, please make donations in Jean’s memory to Birthright of Wantagh, 1134-A Wantagh Ave., Wantagh, NY 11793,birthright.org/wantagh or Momma's House, 1857 Wantagh Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793, www.mommashouse.org.