January 2, 2010
Tynan, Patrick M.
Patrick M. Tynan, 66, of Dedham, died suddenly on December 31 surrounded by his family. He is survived by many friends, his wife Mary Ann, his daughter Emily, his daughter Cate and son-in-law Brendan O’Dwyer, his grandson, Ellis, his sister Marion, and his brothers Thomas, Michael and Timothy, and his mother-in-law, Veronica Mollek of Westwood. In recent years, he grappled with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and, though it was difficult for him, he was able to remain very active to the end and had a wonderful holiday with his family.
He was born in New York, NY, the fourth of six children of James and Marion Tynan. He attended Manhattan Preparatory School and was graduated from Manhattan College in 1965 with a degree in Philosophy. He then moved to Northampton, MA, where he pursued a graduate degree in Philosophy at UMass Amherst, and where he met Mary Ann,his beloved wife of 42 years. They were married in 1967 and moved to Dedham, where he became a teacher at Dedham Country Day School. He loved teaching, and stayed at DCD for 34 years, during which he taught almost every subject, coached almost every sport, and worked in Admissions, Placement and Development. Upon his retirement in 2001, a scholarship fund was created in his name. The fund seeks to promote diversity in education, a mission that was very important to him throughout his life.
His children, Cate and Emily, were born in 1976 and 1979, respectively. One of the great joys of his life was being a father to his girls, and later, a grandfather to Ellis, born to Cate and Brendan in 2008.
He loved being out of doors, whether bird watching on long walks, or in his garden in Dedham to which he devoted much of his energy, or at his homes in Trescott and Deer Isle, Maine, places that were very dear to him, or at the botanical gardens and arboretums to which he traveled. He pursued his interest in the outdoors after he retired from teaching, serving as Trustee for the New England Wildflower Society and as Trustee and Secretary for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. His volunteer efforts also reflected his love of public institutions and his communities in Dedham and Maine; he was former member of the board of directors of the Dedham Community House, a member of the Ralph Lowell Society Committee at WGBH, Boston, a volunteer at the Franklin Park Zoo, and he was involved in any number of land conservation efforts in Maine.
A gathering of friends and family will take place at a future date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Patrick M. Tynan Scholarship Fund at Dedham Country Day School, 90 Sandy Valley Road, Dedham, MA 02026 or to Mass General Hospital ALS Clinical Research Fund, 165 Cambridge St., Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114.
Comments(14)
Mr. Tynan was one of the best teachers I ever had. He was a great support for me while I was at DCD, and the memory of his fiery spirit motivated me through high school and college. His cheerful rendition of “Zip-a-dee-do-dah” in the school hallways is one of many memories I will cherish. Requiro te.
My daughter, Kara, just called to let me know of Pat’s death. Both Kara and William were students of Pat’s during their years at DCD and always remember him fondly,listing him among their favorite teachers. He gave them a lot, including the certainty of a deserved punishment when they misbehaved.
My husband Bill respected him and enjoyed working with him.
I was always glad to talk to Pat, either in the halls of DCD or meeting him in Dedham Square. He was a gentleman and, under his -at times- gruff attitude, a gentle man.
My thoughts go out to his family.
Pat Tynan held an important place in the history of Dedham Country Day School. For over three decades, he was the keeper of DCD’s institutional memory and held all the important threads of every aspect of school life. Many people, young and old, depended on Pat’s skills, intelligence, and wisdom to keep DCD vibrant and efficient. He was a master story teller and when he spoke, everybody listened. He remembered every detail of every event connected to DCD. His commitment to his work was extraordinary. I am among the many grateful recipients of Pat’s legacy.
I came to know Pat as a DCD parent. My two daughters attended DCD and were taught and coached by him. I enjoyed Pat’s sense of humor and his company in general. Pat was a very nice man.
Pat and Mary Ann have been wonderful friends of Middlesex School, where Emily attended. We are so grateful for everything the Tynan family has done for Middlesex, and our thoughts and prayers are with you as you celebrate and mourn the passing of this wonderful husband, father, grandfather, friend, and educator. Pat certainly did more than his fair share in making the world better for the people fortunate enough to know him.
Mr. Tynan was hands down my favorite teacher at DCD. I have shared many stories about him with my daughter who is approaching the age where she can appreciate a teacher like Mr. Tynan; someone who could challenge you to do your best, frighten you just enough to keep you on your toes, and never forget you after you graduated. After he retired, I loved seeing him walking around Dedham, always purposeful. He was a giant of a man in my memory, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to know him.
Although he was a much-beloved teacher of my daughter Lizzie O’Keefe and many of her friends, I best remember Patrick as my wonderful next-door neighbor. A master gardener, Pat was my gentle advisor as I grabbed my first trowel with more enthusiasm than know-how. Of course, he knew the Latin names of all of my flowers (and everything else) and what would fare best in our stony Dedham soil. Later I came to understand that Patrick had a deep and abiding knowledge of everything he cared about. WGBH, where I now work, was a beneficiary of that wisdom. Above all, Pat was a wonderful father. His lovely daughters are a reflection of that.
Ted, Lizzie and send our love and sympathy to Mary Ann, Cate and Emily.
Pat was a wonderful and inspirational teacher and coach. We had a warm evening last night with children and neighbors recalling many stories from our experiences with Pat at DCD. Pat will be missed dearly but has left great, lasting imprints on so many children and their families.
Mr. Tynan was the teacher who taught me to love Shakespeare and encouraged and allowed me as a girl in the 1970s, to play on the boys baseketball team. We had no idea then how profoundly he would change MY life. He inspired me to move past the boundaries others often place around you and I will be forever grateful. May he rest in peace.
I had the opportunity to get to know Pat through my work with the Quoddy Regional Land Trust (now Downeast Coastal Conservancy) and as a neighbor in Trescott. I will always remember his generosity and commitment to the conservation of our special natural places “way Down East” and the enjoyment I had in visiting with him and Mary Ann at their camp over the past few years. I wish I had known him longer – he was clearly a remarkable person.
There is always one of those teachers that stands out in everyone’s life. Mr Tynan was the one for me and probably a lot of other kids at DCD. He was tough, gruff and as caring as they come. I bought a horse named Zippo Time Bar. Whenever he got scared, I would sing Zippity Do Da to him as I heard Mr Tynan do so often. When things have gotten tough in my life his voice would echo in my ears; “ONE MORE LAP, MCKIBBEN” I have not seen Pat for a few years now, but he is with me very often and always will be. I can honestly say he helped make me the person I am today.
We just heard about Pat’s passing and wanted to give heartfelt condolences to Mary Ann, Cate & Emily. He will be missed.
Pat was old school.. alway sharp as a tack and taught kids to play by the rules.. the right rules.
Mr. Tynan offered me my first introduction to Shakespeare, at the tender age of 10. He said he wanted to show our little group of advanced readers that we were not such smarty-pants! Due to the large numbers of students at that time, our class met in the gym. As we struggled through Hamlet, he bounced the basketball around us and shouted encouragement. I’ll never forget him!