Elizabeth Joan Ryan

A loving, devoted wife and mother of eight, Elizabeth Joan Ryan (nee Ebert) passed away peacefully on December 11, 2025, surrounded by her children. She lived 91 years with unwavering strength.

Known as Joan, she was born on November 22, 1934, to Henry Gerard and Anna Virginia “Ginny” Ebert in Baltimore, MD. As a youth, she enjoyed sports, dancing, and music, and was very active at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Highlandtown.

Throughout her life, Joan’s faith, family, and friends were her greatest treasures. Brave, funny, strong, and bright, she cared for others ahead of herself all her life. First among them was her husband, Charlie, whom she asked to her prom at Catholic High School for their first date. They were married on January 12, 1957, and later blessed with eight children, 22 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, all of whom she cherished.

An expert in compassionate patient care, she reassured children and adults as a doctor’s assistant and phlebotomist. She and Charlie also shared the joy of babysitting for their grandkids.

She spent many summers at her family’s Chesapeake bayside home in Bowley’s Quarters, MD, and she and Charlie also enjoyed traveling to Europe, Canada, a Mississippi River cruise, and around the United States. The “Ryan clan” often shared vacations in the Outer Banks, NC, and Bethany Beach, DE, where Joan and Charlie treated their grandchildren to sunrise walks and donuts on the beach, Olympic game nights, and the simple pleasure of being together by the ocean.

Together, Joan and Charlie delighted in attending family-centered events: baptisms, sports games, theater performances, dance recitals, concerts, and weddings! Christmas was where they both shined as their family’s own Santa and Mrs. Claus. She also found purpose in attending Mass and helping at St. Paul Catholic Church in Ellicott City. Tennis, reading, singing, history, being in nature and going to movies and theater shows were among her hobbies and interests.

Joan gave nonstop unconditional love and encouragement to her entire family and cared for Charlie until his death in 2011. Then her family was honored to care for Joan as her condition progressed.

Joan leaves her family, including Mary Kate Ryan and Michael Keyes, Charlie and Angela Ryan, Bridget and Rick Reed, Bill Alexander, Tim and Suzanne Ryan, Michaelann and Martin Meehan, Jamie and Wendy Ryan, and Colleen and Dan Slear. Her grandkids, their spouses, great-grands, nieces, and nephews will miss her as well. She is preceded by her husband Charles A. Ryan, daughter Amy G. Ryan Alexander, grandson Kevin M. Ryan, sisters Barbara Krebs Ferguson and Ann E. Wagner, and brother H. Gerard Ebert.

Her legacy of love, faith and kindness lives on through her family, who are deeply grateful to the many caregivers, family and friends who assisted her and support them.

The family will hold a visitation at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church (4795 Ilchester Rd., Ellicott City, MD) on Saturday Dec. 27, 2025, at 10 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial celebrating her life at 11 a.m.

While Joan appreciated flowers, she would be delighted for donations to be made to The Little Sisters of the Poor - St. Martin’s Home, Baltimore,
(General Fund).

https://littlesistersofthepoorbaltimore.org

Please, no memorial trees, flowers or gifts to the family.