Family and friends, I am Ryan’s cousin, Cathy. When Ryan was born, I was 18 and have great memories of Ryan as he grew up. Many a Thursday, I would hop on the subway and go to Park Slope to visit my Grandma Betty and usually sat on the church steps with Jackie and her kids or in the apartment on 7th Ave. Sometimes we would go to St. Francis bingo. I had so much fun hanging out with the Connor kids.
Every so often Ryan would come with Jackie to my mom’s house in Hazlet, NJ for the weekend. One day in particular stands out in my mind these past few days.
My mom Jane, Jackie, Ryan and my two little ones went to Keansburg Amusement Park. Ryan was talked into going on the go carts. He was the first at the starting line and slammed the gas down and ran right straight into the wall. Then continued to do it several times because he wasn’t turning the steering wheel. The moms were yelling over the fence "Turn the wheel". This went on for a while. He was sweating and a bit shook when he got off the go cart. Our family tends to laugh at things like that and Ryan was not immune to our humorous taunts.

Well, we all jumped back in Jane’s green station wagon and pulled up at the A&P – I ran in to get bread and milk. When I came out the wagon pulled up and as I went to open the door it pulled away. Ryan’s face in the back window was one of bewilderment.
The next time they pulled up and away, Ryan and my kids were howling. Jackie would say “go” to my mom as I tried to open the door. On the fourth time, I was enraged and yelling STOP.
When I saw Ryan after that he would say, with this little nod of his head and smile, “Want to go to A&P?

Ryan had such a great sense of humor and I will always remember how he made me smile. Saying goodbye is one of the hardest things to do.

You will be terribly missed, Ryan.

Uncle Georgie

Remember

Remember me when I am gone away,

Gone far away into the silent land;

When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day

You tell me of our future that you plann'd:

Only remember me; you understand

It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while

And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

For if the darkness and corruption leave

A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,

Better by far you should forget and smile

Than that you should remember and be sad.

—CHRISTINA ROSSETTI (via Uncle Georgie, Aunt Annie, Cousins Tomas and Aine McLaughlin)

Please feel free to share stories and memories of Ryan here.