Wilsa Jane Ryder, MD, long of Provincetown, departed this life on Saturday, October 28, in Boston, with her family in attendance. She had experienced declining health in recent times, but succumbed to an acute pneumonia, at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
She is survived by her husband, Brian O’Malley, MD; her son Robin and grandchildren Zoe and Ebben of Wellfleet; her daughter Grace and her partner Todd Prada of Provincetown; and by her brother William Ryder, his wife Linda, and their sons Patrick and Jake. Her parents were William and Sarah Ryder of Groton, Massachusetts.
A scholarship from her home town, which she won based on her high school record, allowed her to graduate from Smith College, and she always maintained a love for her alma mater. She met her future husband in medical school, at SUNY Brooklyn, and did her residency training at Boston City Hospital- where she was also politically active in the House Officers’ Association. She worked early on in a number of neighborhood health centers in the Boston area. And she brought this idealism of community health with her when the young family moved to Provincetown.
Wilsa was for many years a working Pediatrician, who over generations, doctored so many of the children of this community, from 1977 to her retirement two years ago. The family of each patient was the larger framework within which she always worked.
The establishment of the Provincetown Medical Group was long a working partnership with her husband Brian. This work and her family were the motivating satisfactions of her life.
She was for a time Provincetown school physician. And she also served on the original Celia Francis Scholarship Committee, supporting Provincetown graduates in college.
Wilsa was a foodie, and a fine cook. She and Brian loved working together in the kitchen, especially when a family gathering would enjoy the meal. Together they home-made breads, yogurt, beers, ice cream, fresh pasta and sauces and so much more.
She enjoyed vegetable gardening for the table, digging quahogs, and gathering cranberries. In younger years, she was very active hiking, camping, bicycling, cross-country skiing, swimming and boating. After the move to Provincetown, they engaged in the lively art scene here. Fabrics and sewing were always an interest.
She loved their dogs Bianca and Lilly, and more recently her big grey cat, who she liked to call Sam.
Her musical tastes could be summarized by “It’s only rock and roll, but I like it.” Her favorite reading was Mary Oliver’s poetry.
Family travels took her to Hawaii, to Puerto Rico many times, to Canada and California, to Ireland, Scotland and England, and to France, Italy and Morocco. She enjoyed exploring Venice and Sicily most of all.
A beautiful, smart, funny, articulate and successful professional woman and mother, sweet Wilsa nonetheless ultimately succumbed to the ravages of the illness of alcohol addiction.
A memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, November 18th at 11 AM at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum.
Donations in her memory might be made to the Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, and the Lower Cape Outreach Council.
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