Lillian Ryan

Mrs. Ryan was born in Union Beach, NJ, and married 67 years to her beloved, Joseph M. Ryan, Sr., WW II veteran and successful businessman, deceased April 2009. She was also preceded in death by nine of her ten siblings.

Lillian is survived by her youngest brother, Vincent Holland and wife Betty, Caldwell, NJ, sisters-in-law Marie Holland and Beverly Ryan, as well as her eight cherished children: Thomas, Joseph, Kathryn, Ronald, Mark, Lillian, Sean, Richard, numerous loving sons and daughters-in-law, nineteen grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and two on the way.

Affectionately known as Mom Mom, Mrs. Ryan was a devout Catholic who regularly prayed The Rosary, as well as a licensed real estate agent, philanthropist, and Girl Scout leader. She enjoyed books, card games, bowling, and golf. She traveled extensively, with her husband, family, and friends, including the seven continents. Mom Mom will be remembered for the lilt of her laughter, deep wisdom, and quiet strength.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests expressions of sympathy are made to the Chiera Family Foundation which helps send kids and young adults who are fighting cancer to summer camp and college. To donate, simply visit www.chierafamilyfoundation.org or Alzheimers Research Foundation of Southern Florida. Funeral services will be held in Florida. Arrangement are by Babione Funeral Home, Boca Raton, FL, 561 395-8787.

Lillian Ryan Eulogy 09/23/2017! ! ! ! ! ! Page 1

Good Morning,

I don’t know how to give a eulogy about someone who has meant so

much, to so many people. It is a daunting task but I will give it a go.

Lillian Ryan was a loving daughter, a sister, a spouse, a mother,

a grand mother, a great grand mother, a god mother, an aunt, and

the best friend you could have. We all have been blessed to have had

our own special life experiences with her and memories of her to

treasure. We have been on a journey together and now she has

peacefully arrived at her new home on God’s celestial shore.

As a daughter in a family of eleven children she was devoted to her

sisters, bothers and parents. I know she shared a very special bond

with her sisters Phyllis, Mary, and Charlotte. Maybe this is because

they were out number by seven brothers.

As a loving wife she was my father’s BFF (Best Friend Forever) and

ever Amen. As parents Lillian and my father Joe were totally

committed to one another and their children. They stood together

though a life of full of hard work, successes, and challenges.

I think their successes in life had every thing to do with their

relationship and the relationships they built along the way.

Lillian was kind, caring, faithful, generous, strong, happy, and loving,

but most of all I found her to be kind. Her life gave her many

opportunities for enjoyment and spiritual growth. She was a devout

Catholic. As a child, I remembered going novenas with her.

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She loved the rosary and the Hail Mary prayer. She was always

praying for others. She generously gave to the missionaries.

In her life, Lillian had the opportunity to travel and see the world. She

would sometimes comment that she and my father had come a long

way from being a couple of kids from Sussex Avenue in Newark,

New Jersey,

Here with us today are all of Lillian’s and Joe’s children: Tommy,

Joseph, Kathy, Me, Mark, Lillian, Sean and Richard. I think my mother

is very proud of us and our extended family full of spouses, grand

children, great grand children, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews,

and God children. Lillian let each of us know how, in own unique way,

we were very special to her.

Lillian enjoyed life. She had a wonderful sense of humor she, was

lighthearted, and sometimes challenged by trying to tell a joke. Good

thing she could always laugh at her self. She loved playing with

children and the they with her. She and my father loved to play games

and be playfully competitive.

Lillian was a very beautiful women inside and out. She always looked

her best and took good care of herself. She loved to have hair and

nails done, she was always well dressed. Lillian had a smile that could

light up a room. She was the kind of person you wanted to be around,

especially if you liked to get your back scratched. She was real good

at that.

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Lillian was a strong person to do all that her busy and sometimes

difficult life demanded of her. It’s amazing how she was able to

maintain order in the chaos of raising eight children in the nineteen

fifties and sixties. I am sure going to church helped a lot. Her faith saw

her through many trials. She was tested and she pulled though from

having a life threatening brain aneurysm forty years ago, and even

recently in the face of Alzheimer’s disease the essence her kind,

loving, spirit endured in the end. There was one name that the disease

never took from her that was Joe, the love of her life.

Lillian’s life was full of love, from her family of origin, to her marriage,

to her immediate family, extended family, and beyond. She selflessly

extended a warm welcome to so many people especially those who

needed a friend or a family to be with. She cooked a million meals and

nurtured the spirit of all those she knew. Lillian shared her wisdom.

She was able to carefully listen. Lillian would not speak poorly of

anyone. Perhaps her wisdom came from her love of the nursery

rhyme the Wise Old Owl which goes as follows:

A wise old owl sat in an oak,

The more he heard, the less he spoke;

The less he spoke, the more he heard;

Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?

At this time, I would like to express a special thank you to Eve and

Violet, as caregivers they gave love, comfort, and support though

Lillian’s declining years. I know if my father could be here with us

today he would give them the biggest most grateful hug. They were

like angels sent from the Lord in our mother’s time of need and all of

her children are deeply grateful to them both.

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We would also like to thank Dan Kiniery for his special kindness and

loving support of his aunt.

In closing, I would like to share with you the lyrics of a song my mother

loved, which she could sing so beautifully. She loved babies and they

brought her so much joy. The song is called For Baby by John Denver.

I'll walk in the rain by your side,

I'll cling to the warmth of your tiny hand.

I'll do anything to help you understand,

I'll love you more than anybody can.

And the wind will whisper your name to me,

Little birds will sing along in time,

The leaves will bow down when you walk by,

And morning bells will chime.

I'll be there when you're feeling down,

To kiss away the tears if you cry.

I'll share with you all the happiness I've found,

A reflection of the love in your eyes.

And I'll sing you the songs of the rainbow,

Whisper all the joy that is mine.

The leaves will bow down when you walk by,

And morning bells will chime.

Thank you.

.