Father Michael J. Ryan, 1937-2014

Funeral Mass for longtime pastor May 28

Father Michael J. Ryan, who served as pastor of four parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle during his 46 years as a priest, died May 19. He was 76.

A vigil service will be held Tuesday, May 27, at 7 p.m. at Holy Spirit Church in Kent, 327 Second Ave. S. A funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, May 28, at 10:30 a.m. at St. James Cathedral in Seattle, 804 Ninth Ave.

Growing up in Seattle, Father Ryan attended St. Joseph School, Seattle Prep and Seattle University, according to an obituary published in The Olympian. He attended St. Thomas Seminary in Kenmore and was ordained to the priesthood May 18, 1968.

He served as pastor of St. Mary of the Valley in Monroe (1975-81), St. Paul in Seattle (1981-85), St. Michael in Olympia (1985-97) and Holy Spirit in Kent (1997-2002). He also served at St. Pius X in Mountlake Terrace, Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle, St. James Cathedral and St. Matthew in Seattle.

In retirement, he assisted at parishes in Washington and California. He was instrumental in opening Katherine’s House, a transitional housing program for adult women in Kent. He also established a secondary school in Nyumba, Rwanda, where he worked to improve educational opportunities for youth.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Pat Heins.

He is survived by his brother, Tim; 16 nieces and nephews and 67 great-nieces and -nephews.

Remembrances may be made to Katherine’s House, 100 23rd Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98144.

Several other priests of the Archdiocese of Seattle have died recently, including:

Father Brian Snyder, 1952-2014

Father Brian Snyder, a priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle for nearly 35 years, died May 14 after a long battle with cancer, according to an obituary published in The Seattle Times. He was 61.

Born in Yakima, he graduated from R.A. Long High School in Longview and attended St. Thomas Seminary in Kenmore and St. Patricks’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California. He was ordained to the priesthood May 26, 1979.

He served as associate pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Tacoma (1979-85), as a hospital chaplain (1985-2001), and as parochial vicar at St. Stephen the Martyr Parish in Renton (2003-13).

He is survived by his siblings, Steven Snyder and Darla Lau; nephew, Chance Lau; and niece, Jenny Lau.

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 22 at St. Stephen the Martyr Church in Renton.

Father Patrick O’Brien

Father Patrick O’Brien, who served as pastor of four parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle during his nearly 68 years as a priest, died May 12. He was 92.

Born in Waterford County, Ireland, he was ordained to the priesthood June 20, 1946, at Holy Trinity Cathedral.

He came to the Archdiocese of Seattle in 1947, and served as pastor of St. Philip in Woodland (1953-60), Immaculate Conception in Mount Vernon (1960-74), Sacred Heart in Bellingham (1974-76) and St. Martin of Tours in Fife (1976-2002). Before becoming a pastor he served at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Sedro-Woolley and St. Alphonsus in Seattle.

He was preceded in death by his seven brothers and sisters, according to an obituary published in The Tacoma News Tribune.

He is survived by nieces and nephews in Ireland.

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 23 at St. Martin of Tours Church in Fife.

Remembrances may be made to St. Martin of Tours Parish.

Father Michael Tucker, 1950-2014

Father Michael Tucker died March 16 after a serious fall. He was 53.

He was ordained to the priesthood April 23, 1977. He served at several parishes including St. Monica on Mercer Island (1977-78), St. Brendan in Bothell (1978-79) St. Patrick in Tacoma (1979-83), St. Vincent de Paul in Federal Way (1983-84), Holy Trinity in Bremerton (1984-85), Our Lady of Lourdes in Seattle (1985-88), St. James Cathedral in Seattle (1988-90) and St. John the Evangelist in Seattle (1990).

From 1990-93 he served as an Air Force chaplain in Saudi Arabia and Anchorage, Alaska.

He is survived by a sister, Patty, and a brother, Steven.

A funeral Mass was celebrated at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church in Tacoma.

Father Lester “Jerry” McCloskey, 1938-2014

Father Lester “Jerry” McCloskey, a priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle for nearly 50 years, died March 4. He was 75.

He was raised in West Seattle and attended Holy Rosary School and O’Dea High School, graduating in 1956. He attended St. Edward and St. Thomas seminaries in Kenmore and was ordained to the priesthood May 23, 1964, at St. James Cathedral by Archbishop Thomas Connolly.

He served as pastor or co-pastor of several parishes, including Our Lady of Sorrows in Snoqualmie (1975-80), Our Lady of Mount Virgin in Seattle (1980-83), St. Paul in Seattle (1985-97), St. George in Seattle (1995-97), St. Edward in Seattle (1995-96) and St. Gabriel in Port Orchard (1999-2003).

After retiring in 2003, he assisted on weekends at Holy Disciples in Puyallup and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Eatonville until November 2011, when the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease no longer permitted him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Elizabeth.

He is survived by his siblings, James, John, Joan Renne, Janet Brittain, Jeff and Joe.

A funeral Mass was celebrated March 13 at Holy Spirit Church in Kent.

May 27, 2014