AMHERST – Norma Jean Ryan, age 70, passed away peacefully August 16, 2017 at her home in Amherst.

 

Born December 19, 1946, in Somerville, Massachusetts to June Winifred (Brackett) Sutton and Edward James Sutton, she lived her childhood in Somerville graduating from Summerville High School in 1964. Majoring in education Norma graduated from Mass Bay Community College and in 1969 from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

 

Norma met her husband H. Dennis Ryan of 47 years in 1966 at the UMass Hatch restaurant and were married on Valentines Day, February 14, 1970 in Boston. Together they moved to Norfolk, VA while Dennis was in the Navy and after graduate school to work on Long Island, NY where Norma did extensive volunteer work with the Farmingdale Cerebral Palsy Association.

 

In 1983 the family moved back to Amherst to new jobs, Norma went to teach at Wildwood Elementary School as a Reading Recovery teacher. Many of the first grade children that Norma taught reading to are now adults and leading professional lives thanks to her humanity and skills. Six-grade graduation was always a high point of the school year, and made very special by Norma’s video presentation with music that showed every graduating student, she was very happy when the tears started to roll from the parents on seeing their child in her video.

 

Home and family were important to Norma and she was very proud of her two daughters, Kelly Ryan Woods of South Hadley and Coleen Ryan of Salem, MA. It was not uncommon for the three of them to have “craft” days together. Norma’s craft skills are legendary; she was a master Nantucket basket maker. Norma made all of the baskets for Kelly’s wedding and then a full size Nantucket cradle for her granddaughter Adaline Ryan Woods.

 

Norma was especially happy with the birth of her granddaughter Adaline and having someone to show how to do craft projects, make cookies and apple pies. These “Grammie Days” were a joy for both. 

 

Norma and Dennis loved to travel and made many long distance trips including India, Alaska, Ireland, and Newfoundland… a very special place for them was St. Kitts in the Caribbean for a sunset with a rum punch.

 

Norma very much appreciated the support of family and friends over this past year.  In particular, both the “dinner girls” and the Wildwood “pool girls” were a big help in keeping her spirits up during a difficult time.

 

 

Her husband H. Dennis Ryan, her daughter Coleen Ryan, and Kelly, Adaline and Christopher Woods, as well as her brother William Sutton survive Norma.

 

c/o MTWFA

P.O. Box 326

Checks should be made out to the MTWFA Robert Childs Fund.  (Please note – funds are unfortunately not tax deductible.)