Constance (Connie) O’Brien Ryan

Constance (Connie) O’Brien Ryan passed away peacefully on February 26th, 2024, at AllianceHealth Braintree, from dementia. She was 85 years old.

Born and raised in Boston, Connie was the daughter of the late Mary (McGillicuddy) O’Brienand Joseph O’Brien. She is predeceased by her sister Mary Denise (O’Brien) Dunn, and herstepmother Elizabeth O’Brien. Although Connie had been a resident of Braintree for the past 52 years, she was always a Bostonian at heart.

She loved taking her children into Boston on the train and introducing them to Sundaes at Bailey’s in Harvard Square, Cambridge, and the thrills of discount shopping at Filene’s basement in downtown crossing.

She rabidly supported her alma mater Boston College and came from a legacy family where her grandfather, sister, and both children (Felicia & Peter) graduated from BC.

Her granduncle was Connie Mack (a baseball Hall of Fame Inductee) whom she was named after, and baseball was a family affair. An avid Red Sox fan until she switched alliances in later life to “that team in New York that shall not be mentioned.” Her family thinks she did this just to be obstinate.

Connie proudly taught kindergarten at St Francis School in Braintree for more than 20 years. She believed strongly that all children deserved nurturing. Her classroom was a magical world which included resident rabbits, a guinea pig and fuzzy hamster named Suzie.

She doted on the different family pets over the years. Cooking special meals for Sally O’Malley, Brandy, and Molly dog. A personal sacrifice since she hated cooking.

A favorite hobby was feeding the parade of fat and happy wild animals in her backyard which included various birds, squirrels, turkeys, and chipmunks.

She loved the beach, listening to the waves and feeding the seagulls. She had a green thumb, lovingly attending to thriving indoor and outdoor plants including a more than 100-year-old Christmas Cactus that her daughter still has a cutting from.

She was proud of her Irish heritage and her favorite color was green. She was thrilled when she got to travel to Ireland on a vacation with friends.

Connie is survived by her patient and devoted husband James Ryan of Braintree, her daughter Felicia Ryan, husband Adam Goodwin, and adopted granddaughter Fiona Goodwin of Malden. Her son Peter Ryan and his wife Hillary Chabot of Somerville. She is also survived by her beloved niece Katherine Ryan of the North Shore and many other adult nieces and nephews, dear friends, as well as spoiled furry “grandchildren.”

Relatives and friends are invited to attend visiting hours “wearing their green” in honor of Connie from 2-5pm on Wednesday (3/6) at McDonald Keohane Funeral Home, 809 Main Street in South Weymouth. A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday (3/7) at 10am at St Clare’s, 1244 Liberty Street in Braintree. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to NE Wildlife Rehab in her memory.