Nancy Ryan Craig, M.D.

Nancy Ryan Craig, M.D., 91, died peacefully in her sleep in her own home on August 12 after a long illness. Caregiver and dear friend Claudia Longoria was at her side. Preceded in death by husband William J. Craig, M.D., parents Henry Grady and Anna Butler Ryan, brothers Henry Grady Ryan, II, M.D., John Butler Ryan, D.D.S. Survived by sister Flora Elizabeth ("Beth") Rankin (John) of San Antonio, TX, children John (Victoria) of Oregon House, CA, Christopher (Ann) of Knoxville, TN, Mary Elizabeth (Felix Karim) of Walnut Creek, CA, Kathleen (Moshe Dinar) of Oakland, CA, grandchildren Shea Silidker, William Craig, Sarah & Carolyn Craig, Meagan and Mallory Craig-Karim, David Dinar, dear friend Sharon Pickard, and many nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends. She was not a conventional woman of her time. Born in Norman, OK, in 1924 to one-room country school teachers, she excelled academically, funded her own education, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Oklahoma in 1946, then from the Medical School in 1949. She married her perfect complement, fellow future physician Bill, in April of 1946. Their marriage was cut short by his death in 1982. With boundless energy and a generous spirit, she had a distinguished career as a board certified anesthesiologist, president of the state society in her specialty, member of the New York Academy of Sciences, member of the surgery faculty at OU Medical School, and finally as the founding director of the OU Medical School's residency program in the then-new field of Emergency Medicine. Her rigor and compassion made a positive difference in many, many lives. A woman who knew her own mind, she was a breaker of glass ceilings. She was also a dedicated, loving, and exceptional mother to her four children, then a strong presence in the lives of "daughters 3 and 4," Christina Pickard and Elissa Pickard Griffy. With her special love for children, she was a gifted grandmother to her own seven and others'. She instantly gave sympathy and support to any individual who was struggling. Tender, loving, and also brilliant, she expected the best for those under her care; she was ferociously impatient with mediocrity. Countless lives are richer because she was in them. Private service for immediate family only. In lieu of flowers or memorials, please make a positive difference in the lives you touch.