Jean Ryan
From Small Town Girl to Woman of the World
by Joyce Tepley
August, 2014
The first thing you notice about Jean is the compassion in her eyes. She looks at you with an
eagerness to be of service. On her way out the door after my interview with her she turned and
said, as she always does, “If you need anything, just give me a call. I’ll be going to Costco and be
glad to pick up anything for you.” She means it, too. When neighbors are sick, she’s always
ready to bring a full course meal to them. Whenever someone needs the name of a good roofer
or tree trimmer, she’s more than happy to share her many resources collected over the years as
a developer of property and real estate agent. If there is a project or event sponsored by the
Walnut Hill Homeowners Association or Crime Watch, she volunteers to help. There is no doubt
that she is an asset in every neighborhood she has lived in.
Born in Sterling, Illinois noted for having the second largest steel mill in the United States,
population about 30,000, she was considered to be a ‘city girl’ by her cousins who lived in
smaller farming communities in Illinois. This was the late 1950’s. Following the birth of three
brothers, her mother was forty years old when she was born. Reminiscing about that time, Jean
disclosed, “Mom said I was tough in the neighborhood because I was a tomboy.” Her brothers
made her independent. They chose each other over her to play with.
Her mother raised six of her siblings after her own mother died. She got a business degree
which was unusual for women to achieve at that time. Her father was a quiet man, speaking
broken English because his parents were German born. He did not finish high school but was a
good provider as foreman for Franz Manufacturing Company that sold hardware and made
garage doors. He also was a carpenter. They were both devout Catholics attending Mass every
Sunday and active in their church and school. Her mother taught catechism lessons. Jean’s own
devotion to her faith is the basis of her values and sense of service. Also, having Clara Barton,
founder of the Red Cross, as an ancestor gave her a ‘service gene.’ That service and devotion
continued with Jean’s involvement in her children’s Catholic school educations. With gratitude
in her voice, Jean said, “Some of the best friends I’ve had and still have come from my
involvement with my children’s Catholic schools.”
Jean became more social in high school and she excelled in English and Mathematics. Her
mother insisted her children speak well. She attended Southern Illinois University achieving a
science degree in dental hygiene with a minor in business. After graduating she moved to
Denver, Colorado in 1974 where her mother’s brother and family lived. The next year she
moved to Aspen and worked for a dentist to the stars like Jill St. John, Steve Martin, Claudine
Longe, and the writer, Leon Uris. It was a fun time, driving her Camaro, skiing, and bartering her
teeth cleaning skill for dresses. As if that wasn’t enough, a colleague who worked for Braniff
Airlines encouraged her to become a flight attendant. United Airlines was training and hiring so
she applied. She was in her late twenties, the pay was good, full-time pay for part-time work,
and she could control her hours, opting for the weekends so she could keep her dental hygiene
position. She held that job for twenty-seven years, the last ten flying international. Then it was
on to California to work for her oldest brother. He developed a patent for a non-precious metal
to replace gold in dental crowns and became a self-made millionaire.
One evening while working the Chicago to LA flight with only five people aboard, she met her
future husband, Patrick. He was in seat 2B. With so few people and such a long flight, she and
her flight attendant colleagues had time to visit with him and the other passengers. A little
flirting made a fun experience. He asked for her phone number but when he tells the story, he
says she asked for his card because he was easy to talk with and fun. He had a house in west LA
and was director of Racing for Cragar Corporation supplying auto parts for NASCAR. They dated
for a year before they married in 1983. Being thirty-one years old, her mother was pressuring
her into getting married. “She kept asking me, ‘What about that Irish boy?’” Her mother was
anxious for grandchildren.
She and Patrick were married in Carmel at a picturesque old Catholic mission overlooking the
Pacific Ocean. Soon her mother got her second wish and Brennen was born, the first of their
three children. They stayed in LA until Kailin was born in 1988. Veronica was “the bonus” child
born in 1991. Jean was almost forty. They always had European au pair for their children so
they could give their children a sense of history, European educational values, and refinement.
In 1989 they moved to Seattle for Patrick’s work, bought land and built a house. “That’s what
made me interested in real estate,” she said. Patrick was working for a Danish company and
seven years later they offered him a better position in Dallas. Their children were nine, seven,
and five. Jean confessed, “It was culture shock.” They found a house in Plano because it had the
only Catholic school where all three children were accepted. Because people seemed more
private with high fences around their properties and no one outside, it took a while to get to
know neighbors. They volunteered at their children’s school doing fund-raising and being
instrumental in getting the school on the internet.
When their last child, Veronica, wanted to attend Ursuline Academy, they moved to our
neighborhood, mainly because she didn’t want to drive the distance from Plano. She was still
flying for United until 2003 when she took early retirement and Patrick was working out of their
home. She got her real estate license in 2005 and continues accumulating certifications which
allows her to specialize in educating and helping people in the areas of green and sustainable
living, making easier transitions for elderly clients who need to move from their long-term
residences, and sensitively dealing with the trauma of foreclosure, to name a few.
She is proud their three children finishing college. She loves this neighborhood and their house.
Patrick recently remodeled their ranch style home making it more contemporary from his
unique design plans. She loves her neighbors saying, “The people here are down to earth,
caring, friendly, and helpful. I feel a sense of the home town I grew up in.” She likes the mixture
of generations giving our neighborhood diversity and stability. Since she and Patrick love to
travel, being conveniently between two airports is a plus. And let’s not forget the trees, she
says – lots of trees and green.
We are honored to have Jean as our neighbor.
