Natalie B. (Basso) Ryan

Natalie Basso Ryan passed away peacefully in her residence at Youville House in Cambridge on June 26, 2024. Natalie was born in Somerville, MA on Christmas Eve, 1926. She spent her early years living in Arlington and attended Marycliff Academy, forming a strong religious faith which she carried through her lifetime. Natalie went on to attend Radcliffe College and graduated with the Class of 1948. She received her M.A. degree in English from the University of Connecticut in 1950, where she met her husband, James Ryan (deceased 2014). Jim was a professor of Romance Languages who later became one of the founding faculty of UMass Boston. Natalie and Jim raised their family of three in Belmont, where they lived for nearly 50 years among many close friends. Natalie and Jim took many trips together all over the world, totaling over 40 countries, and traveled until well into their eighties. Natalie’s enthusiasm for travel carried over to her work as a travel agent in Belmont Center. Natalie and Jim were active founding family members at the Belmont Hill Club where they relished friends, swimming and tennis year-round. Natalie spent summers in Craigville on Cape Cod since she was a young girl; with her husband and children she continued to enjoy the beaches and community over the years. Natalie was an active member of the Radcliffe Club and derived great pleasure out of representing her Class of ‘48 at many Harvard Commencements. Natalie treasured a lifelong, dear friendship with her classmate, “Buster” Eleanor Glimp, from their first meeting during freshman year at Radcliffe. Natalie will be dearly missed by her children, Christopher and his wife Lily Baddour of Harvard, Mark and his wife Beverly of Shrewsbury, and Cindy of West Concord. Her family was the center of her life, and included grandchildren Miles Ryan and his wife Vanessa Casas Ryan, Serena Ryan, Danny Ryan and his wife Jennifer Ryan, Kimberly Ryan, Juliet Ryan-Davis and her husband Stephen Coffer, and Jonah Ryan-Davis, and nine great-grandchildren: Jennelee, Hailey, Aolanee, Ethan, Thomas, Savannah, Alejandro, Ariadne and Sage Isla as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and friends. Natalie will be interred at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge alongside her husband Jim. Services will be private, with a Memorial Service for the community to be held at a later date.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Natalie B. (Basso) Ryan, please visit our floral store.