Julia Marie Ryan

While her beloved "Sugar Boy" (a.k.a. Cowboy), a German shepherd rescue dog, was snoozing on his private couch nearby, Ms. Julia Ryan of Chicago died peacefully in her Albuquerque home on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. All the while, her son was dutifully tidying up, doing push-ups, and periodically checking on his mother Julia (a.k .a. "The Old Bird"). He is happy to report that she was in good spirits on her last day.

Julia was born on Monday, March 2, 1936, and grew up on Chicago’s South Side. As a teenager, she worked as a long-distance switchboard operator for the phone company. She married and had four kids, is survived by Susan and Kirt; and was preceded by Robert and Jennifer. After a long stint working for the University of Chicago as a student-loan counselor, Julia retired to Port Richey, FL, for a few years, before moving to Albuquerque, NM, for the final 18 years of her life.

She never tired of watching sunsets, rainbows, and clouds and watching her dogs Jake, Toshi, and Cowboy chase roadrunners around the yard, while sipping coffee and enjoying a cig on her back porch. In no particular order, Julia was quite fond of German Shepherds, old Westerns, Roy Orbison, Elvis, Georgia O’Keeffe, Native American history, reading mysteries, true crime shows, her extended family and kids, cherry pie, blueberry scones, and good home cooking, but also Big Macs and Whoppers.

Julia was beautiful, brilliant in her own way, maddeningly stubborn, and hilarious.

Donations to no-kill animal shelters or bird sanctuary protection organizations would make Julia happy. Please visit our online guestbook for Julia at www.FrenchFunerals.com

FRENCH - Wyoming 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE 505.823.9400 www.frenchfunerals.com