Maureen Elizabeth Dooher Ryan
Oct. 31, 1930-Dec. 22, 2018
Woodside, California

Maureen passed away after a short illness Dec. 22nd at her home in Woodside, CA. Vivacious, energetic, extremely determined, and always ready with a quick and infectious Irish laugh, Maureen will be sorely missed by her family and friends.

She was born on Halloween, October 31, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York, the youngest of three girls and one boy. The Doohers eventually moved to Hillsborough, CA, where Maureen graduated from San Mateo High School, and after, The University of California Berkeley, in 1952. In 1954, Maureen married Robert Ryan and had six children, living in San Francisco, later moving down the Peninsula to Atherton, then Rome, Italy, and eventually to Woodside. The Ryan’s were divorced in 1968 and Maureen never remarried. She was preceded in death by her daughter Molly Ryan in 1975. Maureen was a sports fan, a passion she shared with her four sons. Some of her favorites were Cal Football, her Brooklyn/LA Dodgers, Aaron Rodgers and Roger Federer. In addition to loving sports, Maureen was an avid equestrian, competing her beloved hunter, “Sky Crown” in her youth, and later, fox hunted with The Los Altos Hunt Club. One of her greatest impacts came through her work for legendary Representative Paul N.” Pete” McCloskey. Hired as a legislative aide to the district office in Palo Alto, Maureen was then promoted to the main office in Washington, DC .Generations of staffers and interns who traveled east to serve under McCloskey, were introduced to the capital and the federal government by Maureen. They survived their tour in Washington after Maureen taught them her mantra,“Keep the Faith”, always issued with a laugh and twinkle in her eye. She moved back to Palo Alto, where she headed up the office staff for McCloskey’s run at the United States Senate, which ended his elective career in 1982. Thereafter she was hired as the executive director of the Lincoln Club of Northern California and ultimately she retired from politics and focused on her residential real estate career in Woodside. Maureen also served as the Director of the Children’s Health Council and was a member of the board of the Community Breast Health Project, now the Bay Area Cancer Connection. Maureen is survived by her brother Joseph Miles Dooher, Jr and her five children: Peter Ryan, Andrew Ryan, Kate Ryan Houlihan, Robert Ryan, Patrick Ryan, and nine grandchildren: Will, Timothy, Conor, Megan, Connor, Andrew, Justin, Nicholas, and Kiara. A "Celebration of Life” is planned for Friday February 1st at 3pm at St Mark's Episcopal Church 600 Colorado Ave, Palo Alto.

Donations made be made in Maureen’s honor to the Bay Area Cancer Connection 2335 El Camino Real, Palo Alto 94306