Mary Dobbertin Ryan

Mary Dobbertin Ryan was born in Rochester, New York on August 11, 1939, and passed away peacefully on Sunday morning July 27, 2025, with her children at her bedside. Known to countless friends and family members as “Mimi” — a nickname she earned as a child who never wanted to be left out, always saying “me, me, me!” — Mary lived her entire life with that same spirited determination to be fully present for those she loved.

Mary was raised in the city of Rochester by her parents, Rosa and Edgar Dobbertin, alongside her siblings Peg, John, and Tina. She graduated from Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women in 1957 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Georgetown University in 1961. At that time, Georgetown was not yet fully coeducational, making Mary part of a pioneering generation of women at the university.  It was at Georgetown where Mary met the love of her life, Dr. Gerald Francis Ryan of Saranac, New York, as he completed medical school in 1960.

Their love story spanned over five decades until Gerald’s death in 2017. Early in their marriage, Mary embraced the adventure of military life, supporting Gerald during their overseas assignment at Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath in England from 1961 to 1965. After Gerald’s medical residency at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, the couple established roots in Greater Rochester’s Town of Greece, first on Eden Lane and later at their family farm on Elmgrove Road.  Mary was a self-proclaimed “city girl” and likely never envisioned herself as a farmwife, but it was here that she created many of life’s most treasured memories.

Mary committed herself wholeheartedly to motherhood, raising nine children with boundless energy and devotion while encouraging her children to venture beyond the confines of home and see the world. Her blazing smile would light up any room, and her love knew no bounds. The farm was a backdrop for countless family stories, to include making early morning phone calls to Aquinas Institute asking the school to send her three oldest boys home to wrangle escaped cows and receiving routine phone calls from Greece Police about why ten-year-old son Joe was confidently driving a tractor with loads of hay on public streets.

The 1990s were truly Mary’s golden years filled with weddings and grandchildren. She traveled across the country and around the globe to support her children and 24 grandchildren, often on short notice and for extended stays. Back at Elmgrove Road, aka “the farm”, her kitchen table remained the heart of the family, where she would sit for hours with her children and grandchildren, celebrating their accomplishments, challenging them to Scrabble or crossword puzzles, and simply being present with them.

Mary found deep meaning in her faith community at St. Lawrence Church in Greece, where several of her children gained their elementary education and where she worked in the front office and sang in the choir. Mary’s faith provided not just spiritual grounding for her children but a foundation for the moral values and sense of community she cherished.

Music was a true touchstone for Mary throughout her life and she loved singer Josh Groban who she met personally in New York City. Mary was impressively talented in crafts, especially quilting, and she created beautiful works purely for the joy of giving and sharing with those she loved.  Mary was a proud supporter of Quilts for Valor, providing handmade quilts for Service Members and Veterans touched by war.  Her love for sewing and crafts has been passed to several grandchildren.

Throughout her life, Mary’s friends were a source of great strength and joy, especially as her children left the “nest” one by one. It wouldn’t be unusual for Mary to invite friends to the farm for wine tastings coupled with dips in the pool and maybe some eggplant canning. In later years, Mary treasured her girlfriends and their annual trips and local outings. They laughed a lot and brought Mary such joy and energy.

Mary is predeceased by her beloved husband, Gerald F. Ryan MD, her cherished sons Mark and Kevin, and her daughter-in-law CJ. She is survived by her loving children, their spouses and partners: Steve, Chris (Patty), Tricia (Robert), Lisa (Charles), Katie (Ann), Dan (Cindy), Joe (Holly), and daughter-in-law Mary Ellen. Mary leaves behind 24 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren who will forever carry forward her legacy of love, encouragement, and the importance of family.

Above all, Mary was kind, generous, loving, encouraging, smart, and loyal. She created a beautiful life with family at its center – a life that touched countless others with her warmth, her laughter, and her love for Christ.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Lawrence Church at 1000 N. Greece Rd. Rochester, NY on Friday, August 1, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. Burial honors are private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women at https://www.mercyhs.com/give/.

For more information and to sign the online guestbook please visit www.meesonfamily.com.