Jeanette Laurel Ryan

January 5, 1949 - January 17, 2022

Jeanette went to be with the Lord on Jan 17th, 2022, following complications from a brief illness. She is predeceased by her mother, Phyllis Olmstead Conover, father, Robert Armine Conover, and son, Ryan Mark McCray. She is survived by her daughter, Laurel McCray Corona, her brothers Michael Conover, and David Conover, and many nieces and nephews. Jeanette is also survived by her best friend, Dale McCray, and her many friends over her 70 plus years of life. Jeanette Ann Conover was born and grew up in Homestead (Dade County), Florida. As a youngster she participated in Girl Scouts, Band, and Tennis. She was a very determined young women even at an early age. She was very smart and wanted to be able to do anything anyone else could do. As she grew up, she challenged everyone else to always be their best and live a life of principle because she cared. She rarely celebrated her achievements, only continued to look for the next problem that may need a solution. She always offered a very realistic perspective, and she gave sincere advice, and if warranted, would add humor for a smile. She graduated from South Dade High School in 1967, with honors. She chose to attend college at Emory University, graduating in 1971. She was a member of the Kappa Delta-Gamm Pi Chapter Sorority. Next, she went to Case Western Reserve University and attained her Master of Science in Library Science in 1972. After graduating, she eventually moved to Tucson, AZ in 1974 starting her career at the University of Arizona. She met and married Dale Elbert McCray and started her family. Her family was able to go on many vacations and trips across the U.S., including sporting events, national parks, and NASA spacecraft launches. She entrusted her children with determination, a desire to gain knowledge, and the will to always do your best for everyone and everything. We knew with some hard work we could be anything we wanted to be. She spent time volunteering for her children’s activities including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, making countless sports team banners. Her and Dale were members at Trinity Presbyterian Church for over 40 years, and she served on numerous committees, playing in the bell choir, and inspiring Ryan’s Bears in 2000. She also created a scholarship fund in Ryan McCray’s name to provide college scholarships for youth who work hard and impact the community but may need financial support to achieve their dreams. Her son once wrote “Mom, it’s so hard to explain your character because it is so great and so unique; I could never stereotype you. I love every aspect of your character; you know so much yet you still listen to me. I’m charmed by you, in general.” Her true passion involved problem solving, especially working within her community by making medical health knowledge available. This glimpse of her career is small in the contrast to the magnitude of her true impact. Jeanette was instrumental in the launch of the Arizona Health Information Network (AZHIN) and led AZHIN for ten years. That AZHIN continues to thrive today, providing access to evidence-based information resources to clinical partners across Arizona, is largely a testament to her commitments to resource sharing and improving the quality of healthcare to all in the state. Jeanette was also deeply involved in Information Technology during her earlier years with the Health Sciences Library (HSL), working on the deployments of GEAC (online circulation system) and then LS2000, HSL's first integrated library system. She was instrumental in planning HSL's current facility and helped the iSchool with the establishment of the Knowledge River Program. She represented Arizona Health Science Library within the Network of the National Library of Medicine. She was a strong champion for HSL's community engagement and outreach missions, which are closely tied to both the research and clinical missions of the University of Arizona Health Science programs. Her brilliance and impact earned her the EMIERT Distinguished Librarian Award for her outstanding achievement and leadership in serving the community by significant collection building and outreach services, and/or developing creative multicultural materials and programs. After retirement in 2016 she stayed very active in the Tucson Community. She began volunteering for Casa De La Luz Hospice, Mobile Meals from Interfaith Community Services, and as a deacon for Trinity Presbyterian Church. She also enjoyed spending time walking throughout the Botanical Gardens and Sonoran Desert Museum. She maintained a beautiful yard and spent lots of time with her grandchildren growing unique plants in her desert gardens. She loved to attract the hummingbirds, and butterflies. Her grandchildren and her enjoyed taking pictures of lizards, rabbits, and javelinas in her yard. She loved to travel, including trips to Canada, New Zealand, Australia, across Italy, and countless national parks, her favorite was Glacier. She went on fun endeavors to challenge herself including skydiving, kayaking, climbing mountains, and snorkeling. Jeanette was a season ticket holder for many sports with the University of Arizona during her years of retirement. She held season tickets for football, women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball. She supported AZ Public Media and enjoyed brain teasers, puzzles, and listening to the Lake Wobegon on Sundays after church. She also held tickets for many performances by UA presents. Whether a musical, play, orchestra, or special event, she appreciated the wonderful theater and music performed over the years. She will be missed by so many; we were fortunate to have her in our lives. No matter at what point you may have known this wonderful woman, you will smile when you remember her witty sense of humor and sharp mind, her mentorship of others, her realistic yet graceful spirit, and the intensity with which she approached each day. Memorial service will be 10:30am on Feb 19th at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ and will also be live streamed for those who are unable to attend.