Obituary of Shirley A. Ryan
Shirley Anne (Hamilton) Ryan, 70, of Spring Lake, passed away peacefully on the morning of Thursday, May 6, 2021. Born December 9, 1950 in Elizabeth, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Richard and Marilyn (Nicholson) Hamilton. She grew up in Roselle and Mantoloking, NJ and is a graduate of Roselle Catholic High School and Union County College. Compassionate and empathetic to her core, Shirley dedicated her entire career to working with children and adults with special needs. For close to a decade, she worked as a paraprofessional at Memorial Middle School (Point Pleasant, NJ) and spent the last thirty years of her career working as a rehabilitation technician for Ladacin Network (Wanamassa, NJ). She then retired to help care for her twin granddaughters.
Shirley loved Janis Joplin, venturing into Manhattan for art museums and Broadway shows, trips to the Mystic Art Festival to collect art and sculpture, visiting the Pearl S. Buck House, traveling to Ireland to visit her lovely extended family, the ocean and spending time with the loves of her life: her five grandchildren. She was a creative soul and a true champion of equality and human rights, citing Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a personal hero. Shirley was an avid reader and political enthusiast who enjoyed watching the Rachel Maddow Show each night. Though small in stature, her personality was truly larger than life. She was a lady to her fingertips.
Her memory and legacy will live on through her beloved husband of 46 years, Thomas Ryan; her children, daughter Stacy Bruno and her husband James of Perkasie, PA; daughter Megan Mahon and her husband Patrick of Point Pleasant, NJ; her beautiful grandchildren Emily and Jack Bruno and Jameson, Maeve and Ryan Mahon; sisters Lorraine Hamilton and Genevieve Van Pelt; nephews Thomas Sexton and Richard Van Pelt; aunt Claire Nicholson and cousins.
Visitation will be held from 4 – 7 p.m., Monday, May 10 at the Pable Evertz Funeral Home of Point Pleasant, 901 Beaver Dam Road. At 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 11 a Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated at Saint Catharine Church, 215 Essex Avenue, Spring Lake. (Facial coverings are required and adherence to social distancing will be in effect.)
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made Shirley's memory to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) www.aclu.org
For condolences to the family please visit www.pableevertzfuneralhome.com