Julia Ryan

Julia Ryan



While her beloved "Sugar Boy" (a.k.a. Cowboy),

a German shepherd rescue dog, was snoozing on his private couch nearby, Ms. Julia Ryan of Chicago died peacefully in her Albuquerque home on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. All the while, her son was puttering around the house but periodically checking on his mother Julia (a.k.a. "Jewels," a.k.a. "The Old Bird"). He is happy to report that she was in good spirits on her last day.

Julia was born on Monday, March 2, 1936, and grew up on Chicago's South Side. As a teenager, she worked as a long-distance switchboard operator for the phone company. She married and had four kids, is survived by Susan and Kirt, and was predeceased by Robert and Jennifer. After a long stint working for the University of Chicago as a student loan counselor, Julia retired to Port Richey, Florida, before moving to Albuquerque for the final chapter of her life.

Julia never tired of watching sunrises, rainbows, and clouds and watching her dogs Jake, Toshi, and Cowboy chase roadrunners around the yard, while sipping coffee and enjoying a cig on her back porch. Julia was quite fond of, in no particular order, German Shepherds, old Westerns, Roy Orbison, Elvis, Georgia O'Keeffe, Native American history, reading mysteries, true crime shows, her kids and extended family, cherry pie, lemon cake, and the occasional Big Mac.

Julia was beautiful, brilliant in her own way, maddeningly stubborn, and hilarious.

Donations to animal shelters or bird sanctuary protection organizations would make Julia happy.

Please visit our online guestbook for Julia at

www.FrenchFunerals.com