The Women’s Center of Fort Worth, which works to help women and families facing violence, crisis and poverty in Tarrant County, is mourning the loss of one of its champions.

Mary Jude O’Malley Ryan, who served on the board of the Women’s Center as well as the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Cliburn and the Jewel Charity Ball, died Aug. 12 at age 87.

Ryan didn’t want to live in a world where the nonprofit didn’t exist and did everything in her power to make sure the center succeeded, Women’s Center President and CEO Laura Hilgart said.

“For 35-plus years, she worked tirelessly and in a thousand ways to make sure that a center existed and thrived in the city of Fort Worth,” Hilgart said. “I think it’s true to say that she was part of the foundation upon which the center was built.”

The two were close to each other in age, but that didn’t keep Hilgart from saying that she wanted to be like Ryan when she grew up.

“She was the queen of the few perfect and powerful words which hardly anybody could disagree with once they were spoken — but she never did that with any malice,” Hilgart said. “It was just really clear what needed to happen in Jude’s mind, and let me tell you, 99.9% of the time she was exactly right.”

That same, steady leadership style carried over to her volunteer work.

She dedicated more than 25 years to volunteering with the Cliburn, including oversight of public relations and promotions for five competitions for the internationally renowned piano competition.

“She was a doer,” Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis said. “She was what we always wish to have in our kind of organization, which is like a volunteer that is completely committed and honest.”

Once you met Ryan, you were connected for life, said Netty Matthews, a friend and mentee.

Ryan was someone who impacted nearly everyone she met, Matthews said.

“She is one of three people in my life who made me realize that our capacity to love others is more on the end of infinite as opposed to finite,” Matthews said. “And that was probably the biggest lesson.”

Ryan is survived by her husband Terrence “Terry” Joseph Ryan; her children Michael Jude Pergande, Mary Christine Pergande, John Fredrick Pergande (Frasher), Mary Joan Eberle (Steve), and Stephen Vincent Pergande; her stepchildren Ruth Ryan Williams, Stephanie Ryan Heinecken and Kelly Ryan Vickery; 11 grandchildren, nine step-grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. 

At her Sept. 7 funeral service, friends and family were asked to wear their most colorful clothing when they gathered to honor Ryan at her home parish, Holy Family Catholic Church.

Marcheta Fornoff covers arts and culture for the Fort Worth Report. Reach her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.