Patrick M. Tynan

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.