Marlborough- Sister Mary Dorothy Ryan, RGS, also known as Sister Mary of Our Lady of Good Counsel, died at Marie Esther Health Center in Marlborough, MA on February 2, 2009 after a long illness. She was 87 years of age and had been a Sister of the Good Shepherd for 64 years. Sister Mary Dorothy was born in Woodbridge, the daughter of John and Alice (Mara) Ryan. She was educated at St. James Grammar School and Woodbridge High School, and Good Counsel College in White Plains, NY. While a student in college she worked as a summer camp counselor at Mount Florence, Peekskill, NY where the Sisters of the Good Shepherd conducted a residential treatment center for disadvantaged and troubled young girls. After this experience Sr. Mary Dorothy spent many weekends teaching physical education to these teenagers, and in 1944 she decided to enter the Good Shepherd Novitiate, saying, "I was certain that there could be nothing better than to give my life to these girls, to help them experience God's love, and to give them an opportunity to grow." Under her direction she developed many innovative recreational programs for the youngsters both during and after school hours. They participated in CYO competitions in Westchester County, NY, and her Camp Akenac program grew rapidly with the help of volunteers, donations, and the hard work of the Sisters and the girls. Sr. Dorothy professed her vows in 1947 and continued her education at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where she received her Master's Degree in Social Group Work. She served the community in various roles during her 24 years at Mount Florence as physical education and recreation director, teacher, high school principal, and supervisor of child care. In 1968 she was missioned to the Good Shepherd program at Wickatunk, N.J., where she served as a social worker at Collier High School, an alternative education school. In 1970 she became Superior and Executive Director of the school program, which is a component of Collier Youth Services, a non-profit, non-sectarian agency sponsored by the Good Shepherd Sisters. She returned to social work in 1973, and in 1977 Sr. Mary Dorothy founded Kateri Environmental Center and Day Camp for economically disadvantaged children and served as its director until 1980. The Camp, which was actually carved out of the woods by volunteers, enrolled 23 children in its first summer. The Camp now serves approximately 400 special needs children every year. As a member of the Wickatunk Good Shepherd community for the next 26 years, Sr. Dorothy was also involved in social work for several Good Shepherd programs in New York, New Jersey, and Baltimore, Md. In 2005 she was missioned to Good Shepherd Center in Marlborough, MA, having touched the lives of many thousands of children, sharing their sorrows and their joys for over 60 years. Sr. Mary Dorothy celebrated her Diamond Jubilee on June 18, 2005 at Good Shepherd Center in Marlborough, MA. She was missioned to Marie Esther Health Center in Marlborough, MA in October 2005. Sr. Mary Dorothy is survived by her two sisters, Frances Blount and Rita Martin, both of Monroe Township; her brother, William Ryan of Hilton Head, SC; and many nieces and nephews. Friends are invited to visit at the Sisters of the Good Shepherd Convent in Wickatunk on Friday, February 6th, from 3-5 pm and 6-8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for Sister Mary Dorothy by Rev. Ronald Cioffi at the Sisters of the Good Shepherd Chapel in Wickatunk on Saturday, February 7th, at 9:30am. Burial will follow at St. James Cemetery in Woodbridge, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Kateri Programs, sponsored by Collier Youth Services in Wickatunk, NJ. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd, a world wide congregation, were founded by St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier in France in 1835.