Link to Mass: https://vimeo.com/1024095860

John Joseph “Jack” Ryan passed on peacefully to God on October 26, 2024 at the age of 95.

The beloved and adoring husband of the late Elizabeth “Betty” Ryan (O’Connor) for 54 years, Loving son of the late John J. and Blanche Ryan. Jack is grieved by his four children, Elizabeth Ryan of Hingham, Theresa Gilliland and her husband Dave of Hyannis, John (Jack) Ryan and his wife Araceli of Milton, and Carol Thomas and her husband Simon of Norwood. Brother of the late Blanche Chisholm. He also leaves behind his treasured 16 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Jack, the Great One, the Perfect Specimen, was a proud Irish American, or as he put it, a man from “Tip”. Born March 21, 1929 to Blanche and John Ryan, he was raised in South Boston and Dorchester alongside his older sister “Blanchie”, his cousins, Leo and Eddie Stafford, and his best friend Ronnie Hoeft. Jack served in the US Navy and worked for the MBTA for many years. He met the love of his life, Betty, when they both lived on Templeton Street in Dorchester. Betty and Jack married in 1957 and lived a joyful married life on Hope Ave in East Milton until Betty’s passing in 2011. They often brought their young family camping at Curlew Pond in Plymouth, sliding around the bends in the back of their station wagon, or up to North Conway, NH for ski trips, where some skiing happened on the mountain and some skiing accidentally ended in the parking lot. Jack is remembered as a great man of enormous generosity who was always ready for a laugh. Our Dad and “Grampy” had a giant love for life, delighting in past memories of the big band era, going to dance halls with “Ma”, but never throwing tomatoes at grouchy neighbors as a rebellious youth.

If you were lucky enough to be loved by Jack, you knew it by the sparkle in his eye. We will sorely miss his infectious laugh, his bellowing voice, his love for bugs bunny, lottery tickets, and a good prank, family trips to Ireland and to Irish pubs to play the spoons or the bodhrán, routine drives to Connecticut to make “donations” to Foxwoods, and his love for great big full Irish breakfasts. We will forever love and cherish his memory; may he rest in peace.

Visiting hours at the Alfred D. Thomas Funeral Home 326 Granite Ave Milton on Wednesday October 30 from 4:00-8:00pm. Funeral Mass at St. Agatha Church, Milton on Thursday October 31 at 10:30am. Burial to follow at Milton Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Alzheimer's Assn at www.alz.org or to Old Colony Hospice 321 Manley St. Bridgewater, MA 02379.