Joyce Marie Ryan

Joyce Marie Ryan, 82, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 19, 2026, surrounded by her family and the prayers of many other family members and friends.

Joyce was born on February 24, 1943, in New Eagle, Pennsylvania, to Mildred and Nick Wassil. She was raised with her sister, Diane, in her beloved Donora, where she attended St. Dominic’s Parish and School. She survived the historic 1948 Donora Smog. Joyce liked to tell the stories of her grandparents’ store and life in the mill town, and often recalled with love her many friends. She graduated from Donora High School and Robert Morris Business School in Pittsburgh.

After business school, Joyce relocated to Harrisburg, taking a job as a secretary in the House of Representatives. Harrisburg became her home when she met Michael, the love of Joyce’s life and her husband for 44 years. Joyce retired from the House when her children were born and dedicated all her love to building a home that was warm, welcoming and nourishing to all. A parishioner at Good Shepherd Church in Camp Hill, she was a lunch mother and PTO volunteer at Good Shepherd School for many years. She spent two weeks every summer in Stone Harbor, and later in the Outer Banks and Wrightsville Beach, creating memories with family, and she and Mike travelled to Ireland, Scotland, and many other destinations with Cleveland Brothers and Caterpillar. When her children were older, she returned to work as a secretary for the law firm of Killion & Metz, and then as a volunteer secretary for the Nativity School of Harrisburg. As a breast cancer survivor, she also volunteered with Reach to Recovery of the American Cancer Society.

Joyce and Mike were a fixture in the stands for Trinity High School sports for decades. Even after she stopped attending games and meets in person, she never missed a game on her computer. She especially loved March Madness and the playoffs. An avid fan, she was fiercely loyal to her Steelers, the Pitt Panthers, and the Trinity Shamrocks all her life. She was also a dedicated fan of Carlow University Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field, Duquesne University’s Club Baseball, Hempfield High School’s Baseball and Track, and Old Gaelic Rugby as she followed her grandchildren’s every move!

In her later years, Joyce moved to Lemoyne to be closer to family. She was a parishioner at Saint Theresa of the Infant Jesus Parish where she faithfully attended the 4:30 Saturday Mass.

Joyce is survived by her daughter Kelly Cloak (Ray) and son Timothy (Taryn), and her grandchildren Thomas, Ella, Timothy, Kevin, Taegan, and Kiara, her sister- and brother-in-law Kathleen and Bernard Ryan, Jr, and many nieces and nephews for whom she was the favorite aunt. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Mildred and Nick, her beloved husband Michael, her sister Diane and her husband Joseph, her sister- and brother-in-law Linda and Jim Riesmeyer, and her dear friend, Maureen Curry.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7pm Monday, March 2nd with Recitation of the Rosary at 6:45 at Parthemore Funeral Home, New Cumberland.

Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at 10am Tuesday, March 3rd at St. Theresa Parish, New Cumberland. Committal services will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Upper Allen Twp.

We want to especially thank the teams at UPMC Harrisburg Hospital’s MSICU and N10 for your care, compassion, and professionalism these last weeks.

Memorial donations can be made to Trinity High School, https://thsrocks.us/give-now/