BRADFORD: Constance F. (Godfrey) Ryan, 89, passed peacefully on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 surrounded by her loving family in the Merrimack Valley Hospice House.
Born in Lynn on June 9, 1921, she was the daughter of the late Jonathan and Madeline (Scanlon) Godfrey and the wife of the late Robert W. Ryan who died in 2008. She graduated from Haverhill High School and lived in Bradford most of her adult life.
Connie was a group manager at the former New England Telephone in Haverhill for over twenty years and was a member of the Pioneers of America. After retiring from the telephone company, she worked at the Lawrence General Hospital for several years as an operator in the Communications Center.
Connie was the beloved matriarch of her family and will be remembered by all who knew her as a fun, spirited, loving, supportive and nurturing mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. She loved caring for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; they were the light of her life. Connie also enjoyed shopping, theater, movies, golf and dining out with friends. She was a devoted sports fan and avid reader of books on all subjects.
She is survived by her two daughters and sons-in-law, Susan R. and Robert E. Mitchell of Groveland and Madeline R. and Michael J. Sullivan of Haverhill; a son, Robert W. Ryan, Jr. of Lowell; four grandchildren and three great grandchildren, Christopher Tuccolo, Stacy Tuccolo, Eric Sullivan and wife, Amber and their son, Evan, Alexis Spencer and her children, Brady and Sydney with whom she resided. She is also survived by her nephew, James Ryan with whom she was very close, and several other nieces and nephews. Connie was also predeceased by her brother, Warren Godfrey.
Her funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday in the Sacred Hearts Church, 165 South Main St., Bradford at 10 a.m. Visiting hours will be held on Friday in the Linnehan-Grondin Funeral Home, 52 Salem St., Bradford from 4 – 7 p.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. Interment will be held in the Elmwood Cemetery, Bradford.