Maureen Ryberg

Ryberg, Maureen (O’Connell) of Hingham, October 7, 2004. Born in Ireland and raised in England, Maureen is survived by her husband, Ed Ryberg, a former Naval officer stationed in Italy whom she met while working for NATO. The couple married on the island of Capri and moved to the United States in 1971. After living in the Midwest, they settled in Hingham 18 years ago. Maureen leaves her two daughters, Anne Marie, of Boston, and Christine, of Brookline, and her two sisters, Patsy Ward, of Chanhassen, MN, and Sister Josephine of the Holy Child, a Carmelite nun in Dysart, Scotland.Maureen graduated summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts, with distinction in Italian and International Relations. She held jobs in the banking and travel industries and worked as a translator. A skilled writer, her poetry has appeared in literary journals in America and Ireland, including Poet Lore, The Worcester Review, and Ceide (Dublin). Maureen also volunteered at the Hingham Interfaith Food Pantry. Maureen was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2001 and dedicated the last years of her life to authoring a book of people’s experiences with the disease: Warnings, Sighs, and Whispers: True Stories that Could Save Lives (First Books, 2003). The anthology of stories from cancer patients and their families and friends demonstrates the courage and sheer heroism that is required of ordinary people in the midst of serious illness. It was her hope that this book might educate and enlighten doctors and patients to prevent the tragic delays in diagnosis that occur in the majority of ovarian cancer cases. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the funeral from the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), HINGHAM Monday at 9 AM. Funeral Mass in Saint Paul’s Church, Hingham at 10 AM. Visiting hours Sunday 2-6 PM. Burial in Saint Paul’s Cemetery, Hingham. Donations in memory of Mrs. Ryberg may be made to St. Vincent De Paul Society, 1524 VFW Pkwy., Boston, MA 02132.