Nancy C. Ryan

Nancy Caroline (Holmes) Ryan, 73, of Bristol, passed peacefully Monday morning, October 16, 2017 at home surrounded by her family.  She was the wife of John V. Ryan for 51 years.

Nancy was born on September 19, 1944 in New Haven, daughter of the late Lawrence and Esther (Klein) Holmes and had lived in East Haven for 20 years before coming to Bristol.  She retired after 20 years as personnel coordinator at Aetna Medicare.  Nancy was a gregarious person who lit up any room she entered.  She was very involved in her church, St. John’s Episcopal in Bristol. She spent much of her life in service of others, volunteering at her children’s schools, little league, booster clubs, or as a mentor for students in the Bristol Public Schools. She volunteered as a crisis counselor and a family advocate with hospice. After her retirement, she worked at the St. Mary Home in West Hartford in their finance department keeping track of patient accounts and doling out candy from a big jar on her desk to the clients, many of whom she befriended.  Nancy could often been seen on her daily walks, smiling and waving at passers-by or driving in her red Volkswagen bug convertible.

Besides her husband, she leaves her children, John P. Ryan and his wife Elizabeth of Bristol, Michael L. Ryan and his wife Amy of Trussville, AL, Alyssa Lyn Paradis and her husband Gilbert of Bristol, brother Lawrence Holmes and his wife June of East Haven, her special nieces Deborah Holmes and Gaylene Vasilopoulos and her husband George.  Nancy referred to herself as a Professional Nana to her grandchildren, Justin Paradis and his wife Brittany, Abby Rose Paradis, Ethan Ryan, Samantha Ryan, Brady Ryan, Maxwell Ryan, Adalynn Ryan; great granddaughter Emma Rose Paradis and great grandson Dylan Paradis.

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2017 between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. at O’Brien Funeral Home, 24 Lincoln Ave., Forestville/Bristol.  A Memorial Service will be held on Friday at 10:00 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 851 Stafford Ave, Bristol.  Those wishing to attend are asked to meet directly at the church.  Committal service and interment will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, 522 Terryville Ave., Bristol.  Donations in her memory may be made to either The ALS Association Connecticut Chapter, 4 Oxford Road, Unit E4, Milford, CT 06460 (www.alsact.org) or to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 851 Stafford Ave, Bristol, CT 06010.  To leave an online message of condolence, share a memory or a photo, please visit Nancy’s memorial page at www.OBRIEN-FUNERALHOME.com.

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