Sr. Carol Ryan

February 28, 1918 - December 14, 2014

Ryan, Sr. Carol A., SNJM Albany Sister Carol Ryan (Sr. Elizabeth Margaret), age 96, a Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary for 78 years, died Sunday evening, December 14, 2014 Sister Carol was the youngest of five children of Matthew and Agnes Bowen Ryan. Because, as a child, Carol showed much musical aptitude, she was sent to study at the Academy of the Holy Names (AHN), Rome, NY. After graduation she attended Russell Sage College for a year before entering the convent in Outremont, Quebec, Canada in 1936. She subsequently earned her B.S. in Education and M.M. in Organ at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Her long years of ministry started in classroom teaching and music education at St. Gabriel’s Parish in Washington, DC, Sacred Heart Academy, Tampa, FL, and AHN, Rome, NY. Then she spent decades as music teacher, choir director and music department chair at the Academy of the Holy Names and The Arts Center in Albany. In addition to her “official” ministries, Sr. Carol’s meticulous planning and skilled musicianship elevated countless school functions, civic entertainments, religious ceremonies and weddings of alums wherever her community assignments took her. Always a talented writer and organizer, Sister Carol brought her administrative gifts to leadership roles in the NYS Music Teachers Association, Albany Intercommunity Team, and Holy Names Provincial House Coordinating Team, among many others. A life-long learner with a love of language, Sister Carol took the Dale Carnegie and Personality & Human Relations (PRH) courses and became a presenter/facilitator for both programs. Sister Carol strove to use these communication/language skills as part of her presence to those with whom she lived and ministered right up until her final illness. Across the decades, Sr. Carol maintained close connections with pupils and colleagues and they with her; particular graces in her life were former pupil Michael Ryan and long-time colleague Joan Bailey. Her extended family was very dear to Sr. Carol, especially her niece, Suzanne Ryan Horn, her grandnephews, Robert (Victoria) Ryan and Charles (Susan) Ryan. Family and friends are invited to a Time of Remembering prayer service at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 18, at the Sisters of St. Joseph Provincial House chapel, 385 Watervliet-Shaker Rd., Latham. A liturgy of Christian burial will follow at 10:30 a.m. The Sisters of the Holy Names would like to thank her physician, Dr. John Bashant, and the caregivers and administration at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Residence, for their exceptional kindness and expertise in caring for Sr. Carol, especially during the past year. Those wishing to do so may send donations in memory of Sr. Carol to the Sisters of the Holy Names, 606 Morris St., Albany, NY 12208 MAGIN & KEEGAN FUNERAL HOME INC. 891 MADISON AVE. ALBANY, NY 12208 (518) 482-2698