RYAN, Kathleen Regis
North Sydney
Kathleen Regis Ryan, age 100, of North Sydney, passed away early Saturday morning, December 16, 2017, at the Northside General Hospital. Born in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, July 16, 1917, she was the daughter of the late Capt. Matthew and Mary (MacLeod) Ryan.
She attended St. Joseph’s School in North Sydney and completed her grade 12 in Sydney Mines. She then studied to become a teacher at Normal College in Truro. She began her teaching career at St. Joseph’s School and then transferred to the new St. Mary’s School in North Sydney where she served as principal until her retirement in 1982.
Kathleen (known to her family and friends as Kal) took a deep interest not only in the education of the students but also in their well-being, constantly providing support and guidance whenever it was needed. She always treated her students with kindness and fairness.
As a teenager, she enjoyed cycling on the Branch Road and swimming at Indian Beach. In later years, she took up golfing at the Seaview Golf and Country Club and enjoyed swimming with family at George’s River. In the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, she spent numerous spring vacations in Florida with her sisters and family, first at Walt Disney World and later at Madeira Beach on the Gulf Coast.
Kathleen received excellent care in her own home in recent years from numerous caregivers. Many thanks go out to Marie, Debbie, Maureen, Anna, Anne, Bernadette, Madeleine and Joanne. Her doctor John Kirkpatrick, also provided excellent and attentive care over the years.
Kathleen is survived by her brother, the Honourable Murray J. Ryan of North Sydney. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, Michael, Terry, David; Murray; Mary, David, Sally and James; Patricia, Mary Lou, Charles, Matthew, Catherine, Ethel and Nora; Marjorie and Terence, and numerous grand-nieces and nephews. Her nephew James Ryan passed away on the same day as Kathleen.
She was predeceased by her sisters, Mary Cecilia Ryan, R.N., Anne Ethel Milne, R.N., and Nora Genevieve Tobin; her brothers, Capt. David F. Ryan, Terence Ryan, Robert Emmett Ryan and James MacLeod Ryan; her brothers-in-law, John Milne and Capt. Michael Tobin; her sisters-in-law, Mena Ryan, Patricia (Patsy) Ryan, Mary Ryan and Mabel Ryan, as well as by her niece, May and her nephew, Matthew.
She was deeply loved and will be dearly missed by all her family and friends.
Visitation for Kathleen will be held 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday in the W.J. Dooley Funeral Home, 107 Pleasant St., North Sydney. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Church, North Sydney with Rev. Patrick O’Neill officiating. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Sydney.
Memorial donations may be made to the Holy Cross Cemetery, North Sydney. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.wjdooley. com.