WRENTHAM-Mabel A. (Murphy) Ryan, 100, of 289 East Street formerly of Worcester died Monday, October 14th in Pond Home Nursing Home after a short illness. Her first husband, James Brown died in 1940 and her second husband, Harold Ryan died in 1986. She leaves 2 daughters, Carole J. Barron, of Franklin Square, NY and Lieutenant Colonel Elizabeth A. Brown of Vancouver, WA; 2 stepsons, Everett Ryan of Hopkinton and Harold Ryan of Somerville; a stepdaughter, Dorothy Mairona of Wellesley; 5 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; several nephews and nieces. A stepdaughter, 7 brothers and sisters and a grandson predeceased her.
She was born in East Douglas the daughter of Thomas J. and Mary E. (Barry) Murphy and has lived in Worcester for many years. She graduated from Douglas High School in 1921 and graduated from St. Vincent Hospital’s School of Nursing in 1924. She obtained a certificate in Health Education from the Hyannis Normal School and then graduated from Simmons College with a bachelor degree in public health nursing in 1951. Mrs. Ryan worked for 30 years simultaneously as a school nurse for the Douglas public schools and as the Director of the Douglas Health Department. She was selected to represent the Worcester County Health Department in the meetings of the International Union Against Tuberculosis in both Rome, Italy and Munich, Germany. She has contributed over 10,000 volunteer hours at St. Vincent Hospital and was a member of its Alumnae Association. She was a member of Blessed Sacrament Church and its St. Vincent De Paul Society. She was a charter member of the Worcester Council of Catholic Nurses. She was a board member, the secretary and the president of the American Lung Association in Worcester and at the State level respectively. She was a founder of the Elder Home Care of Worcester and a member of its board of directors. She was appointed, by the mayor of Worcester, to the Commission of Elder Affairs and had received a key to the city from him twice for her civic works. She was a past president of the Guild of Our Lady of Providence.
The funeral will be Friday, October 18th from O’Connor Brothers Funeral Home, 592 Park Avenue, Worcester, with a Mass at 10:00 AM in Blessed Sacrament Church, 555 Pleasant Street, Worcester. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Uxbridge. Calling hours are Thursday, October 17th from 4:00 until 7:00 PM in the funeral home. Flowers may be sent or memorial contributions may be made to Blessed Sacrament Church, Renovational Fund, 551 Pleasant Street, Worcester, MA, 01602 or the Massachusetts Association for the Blind, 51 Harvard Street, Worcester, MA, 01609.