AUBURN – Joseph R. Ryan Jr., 79, of Gray, died March 13.

He was born in Danvers, Mass., on Feb. 4, 1927, to Joseph R. and Ruth Kearns Ryan Sr. He served in the Army and married Alice E. Duggan on May 6, 1950. She predeceased him on March 4, 1972. He then married Barbara A. Pollard on June 29, 1973. She predeceased him on May 2, 2005. He was a communicant of St. Gregory’s Parish in Gray.

He worked in the shoe industry in Plymouth Cottage Industries most of his life until retirement. His retirement job was at Gray True Value. Upon his retirement, he and Barbara started spending winters in Arizona where they belonged to Habitat for Humanity. Joe was a lifetime member of the Danvers Fire Department.

His is survived by children, Mike Ryan and his wife, Ann, Robert Ryan and wife, Ann, Joseph Ryan and wife, Patsy, Wayne Verrill and wife, Cheryl, Judi-Ann Cross and husband, Philip, Karen Tibbetts and husband, Jon, Cindy Bunch, Joyce Barr and husband, Mark, Melinda Frye and husband, Rick; 20 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one sister, Cate Ryan of Danvers, Mass.; and one brother, Jack Ryan of Venice, Fla.

He was predeceased by both wives; his daughter, Alice Ryan; sisters, Ruth Ann Ryan, Elizabeth “Betty” Citroni, and Dorothy Ryan; and a brother, Maurice Ryan.