Middletown, NY
John M. Jackie Ryan of Middletown NY, died on Sunday September 5 in West Palm Beach, FL. He was 69.
The son of the late John and Mary Mulligan Ryan he was born on January 9, 1935 in New York, NY. He was professed into the Carmelites on September 8, 1955 in Williamstown, MA, and ordained May 27, 1961 at St. Alberts Seminary, Middletown. Fr. John earned an MA in Philosophy and History in 1961 at St. Bonaventures in Olean, NY and an MA in Theology STM in 1972 from the NY Theological Seminary. He earned an MSW in Social Work in 1979 from Fordham University.
He spent more than forty years in service to people. He first entered St. Alberts Seminary as a teenager; after being ordained, he taught history at the seminary form 1962-64. He was then sent to Auburn, NY and served as a teacher/Vice Principal at Mt. Carmel High School from 1964-67.Fr. John served as the Vocational Director for the Carmelites in New York City from 1967-72. He became the Pastor at the Church of the Transfiguration in Tarrytown, NY and served there from 1972-81. From 1981-87, he served as Parochial Vicar at St. Pauls in Bullville, NY, where a new CCD center was built. His last assignment was as Pastorof Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, where the new church was built under his direction from 1987-91.
He married Elizabeth Brown in 1997 and continued his private practice of psychotherapy. He became actively involved in CORPUS (National Association for an Inclusive ministry) and Rent-a-Preist Association. He was the author of a number of editorials for the Times Herald Record.
A family statement reads:
Fr. John believed that the Catholic Church is in real need of reform and considered himself proudly one of the thousands of married preists serving people in their time of need. His sense of humor, compassion, generosity, and dedication to others was the very focus of his life . He is survived by his wife, Becky of Middletown, two brothers, Michael Edmund Ryan and his wife, Ellen of Forest Hills; and Patrick Ryan of Goshen; and two sisters, Margaret Admirand and her husband, Peter of Pt. Washington, NY; and Sr. Mary Ellen Ryan of St. Marys Church in Manhattan; mother and father in law, Tom and Dolores Brown of Boynton Beach, FLA; nieces and nephews, Michael; Sean; Patrick; Mary Ellen; Patrick; Danny; Anne; Mary Beth; Kathleen; Peter John; Andrew; Mark; Tim; Kevin; Erin; Meghan; Lily; Emily; Terry-Tom; Sean; Gina and Amanda