Joan Virginia Ryan
September 22, 1935 - October 07, 2021
Miss Joan Virginia Ryan, age 86, of Gadsden, formerly New York City, left this world peacefully to enter
into her heavenly home on Thursday October 7, 2021, after a long battle with alzheimer's. Graveside
services will be 2 pm Tuesday, at Crestwood Cemetery. Father Jose Perez will officiate. (Memorial mass
to be held at a later date TBD, at St. James Catholic Church.)
Joan grew up in Birmingham and Dothan, Alabama, graduating fromDothan High school, and lived in
Gadsden briefly before moving to New York City to study ballet and modeling. She worked for a dance
studio and several classical music public relations firms over her decades of life in New York, before
starting her own freelance public relations company where she managed public relations for classical
concert artists. She was very immersed in the classical music scene, and also enjoyed writing and
photography, was a voracious reader, and loved attending and serving in her local church. Being Catholic
was a very important part of Joan's life, and she was a devout church member from the time she converted
at age 15 with the permission of her parents, until her last breath.
Joan traveled with friends to Paris and Austria, among other places, and always returned home to
Gadsden twice a year to spend precious time with her family and extended family. She had many other
adventures before finally moving back to Gadsden and gradually retiring. She spent several happy years
gardening at her new house, puttering around town in her car after learning to drive in her 70s, making
friends, serving in her beloved St. James Catholic Church, and sharing her sharp and intelligent wit with
everyone.
Joan will always be remembered as the sweetest person, who would do anything for anyone, and who
never wanted to put anyone out for any reason. Her kindness, generosity, intelligence, creativity,
stubbornness, witty sarcasm, infectious laughter, and love for God and her church will be dearly missed
by her family, friends, and all who knew her.
She is preceded in death by father Charles B. Ryan Jr., mother Virginia Ryan, aunt Hazel Smith, brother
Charles B. "Chip" Ryan III and sister Anne R. Byers (Joe).
She is survived by niece Cynthia Snead (Stephen), grand-nephew Fox Snead, cousins Margaret Mitchell
O'Donnell (Norman), Caroline Neller (Tim), John Patterson (Brenda), Kaye Watson (Hank), Lucy Frost
(Randy), and David O'Shields, and a host of second cousins and extended family.
Honorary pallbearers are friends and extended family.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. James Catholic Church, Gadsden.