Hazel (Calnan) Ryan, 83, of Medway, died Sunday, December 8, 2013 at the Thomas Upham Home in Medfield. She was the wife of James J. Ryan who died in 2003.
Born in Medway on October 18, 1930, she was the daughter of the late John W. and Daisy (Halliwell) Calnan.
A lifelong resident of Medway, Mrs. Ryan graduated from Medway High School in 1948 and the St. Elizabeth Hospital School of Nursing in 1951.
Before her retirement she worked as a nurse in the spinal cord injury unit in the West Roxbury V.A. Hospital and had also worked at Children’s Hospital. Mrs. Ryan also helped establish the medical assistant program at Holliston Junior College and taught there for 10 years.
She was a member of the American Assoc. of Medical Assistants, the Medway High School and St. Elizabeth Alumni Assoc. and the Catholic Daughters of America - Court St. Joseph.
She loved sewing and skiing and enjoyed wintering in Naples, FL.
She is survived by a son Steven M. Ryan and his wife Kim of New Hampshire, a granddaughter Lisa Strong and three great-grandchildren, Shane and Kerry Taylor and Sophia Strong.
She is also survived by a brother Estin Calnan of Medway, three sisters, Ida Struck of Millis, Mary Lahston of Millis and Shirley Smith of Medway, a sister-in-law Mrs. C. Raymond “Bella” Calnan of Mendon, a cousin Marian Snow of Grafton and many nieces and nephews.
She was the sister of the late John W. Calnan Jr. and C. Raymond Calnan.
At the request of her family, burial will take place privately in St. Joseph Cemetery in Medway at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Hazel’s memory to the Catholic Daughters of America - Court St. Joseph c/o St. Joseph Church, P.O. Box 557, Medway, MA 02053 or the Medway Friends of Elders, 76 Oakland St., Medway, MA 02053.