William P Ryan

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Longtime Great Kills resident William Ryan, 75, of Marlboro, N.J., a retired communications worker who cherished his Irish heritage, died Thursday in Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, N.J.

Born in Newport, County Tipperary, Ireland, he moved to Brooklyn in 1956 and settled in Great Kills in 1970. He relocated to Marlboro in 2010.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1962, stationed primarily in Hawaii.

Mr. Ryan retired from Lucent Technology, where he worked as a systems installer, in 2000. He earlier worked for New York Telephone for many years.

Remembered for his kindness, he never refused anyone who needed a helping hand. When his children were young, he volunteered with the Boy Scouts and coached soccer.

"He possessed a great work ethic and this he instilled in his five children. He was very proud of their accomplishments and devotion to family," said his cousin, Helen Tierney.

Mr. Ryan took pride in his Irish heritage and enjoyed listening to Irish music. He and his wife, the former Claire Phillips, were fond of traveling to Ireland to visit family and going on cruises.

He enjoyed spending time with his family and watching his favorite baseball team, the Mets. He also liked football games.

Mr. Ryan was a parishioner of St. Clare's R.C. Church, Great Kills, where he served as an usher and helped at bingo games. He also was a member of the Drumgoole Council, Knights of Columbus.

Surviving, along with Claire, his wife of 43 years, are his sons, Dennis, Michael and Danny; his daughters, Brenda Tierney and Arlene Ryan; a brother, Michael; a sister, Margaret (Peggy) Kennedy, and six grandchildren.

The funeral will be Monday from the Casey-McCallum-Rice South Shore Funeral Home, Great Kills, with a mass at 9:45 a.m. in St. Clare's Church. Burial will follow in Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown, N.J.