Kelly Margaret Ryan

Our friend, Kelly Margaret Ryan, was born on February 17, 1984 and passed away on February 27, 2021 at the age of thirty-seven. It was an unthinkable loss to all of us who admired and loved Kelly so deeply. Kelly was a brilliant prodigy. She attended UC Berkeley, graduating with three majors: Spanish, psychology, and art. Kelly became an accomplished painter, as she pursued graduate studies in psychology and became a widely respected behavioural therapist. Kelly worked with nonverbal, autistic children. She loved her kids and strived tirelessly to enhance their communication and life skills. She succeeded in ways astonishing to her clients’ families who remain forever grateful to her. Kelly loved words. She employed them elegantly to convey her singular turns-of-mind and imaginative relational constructs. She employed them to voice her outrage at social injustice, to inspire her friends to believe in themselves, and to express her deep admiration and love in unforgettable ways. Her writing skills did not go unnoticed by authors who frequently called on her to review early drafts of their work. Kelly’s insights were always penetrating and illuminating. Most recently, a playwright engaged Kelly as a painting expert for a stage play about Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.

Her contribution to the play was so ubiquitous that she became co-author of the play. Despite her ongoing health struggles, Kelly scrupulously maintained her professional dependability, her undiminished talents, her quirky humor, her fiery wit, and her sustained dignity. We who loved Kelly know how privileged we were to have her as a devoted friend, valued advisor, and singular companion. We hold tight our gratitude to her for all the ways she inspired us and enriched our lives. We deeply value the thoughts she still evokes, the feelings she continues to engender, and our wonder at her everyday thoughts and casual missives. Her entire family, especially her beloved mother and friend, Candace, dear father, Dick, and brother, Joseph, and every friend and colleague have all been changed by her. We will mourn and miss Kelly for the rest of our lives.