WAYLAND: Donald V. Rider, 93, died peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, July 27, 2013 following a period of declining health.
He was born in La Monte, Missouri on May 14, 1920, the son of the late Henry Rider and Clara (Stahlhut) Rider.
He was the beloved husband of the late Edna M. (Mullen) Rider, who died in October of 1999.
Don is survived by his children Dorothy Ann Rider and her husband Mark Bonaparte of Miami, Florida and Donald V. Rider, Jr. and his wife Anne M. Rider of Marlborough. Grandfather of Kristen A. Gill of Alpine, Tennessee and Alexandra E. Rider of Marlborough. Great-grandfather of Luis D. Gill, Amanda M. Bedard and Amielee M. Harper. Uncle of Nancy L. Rider, Ralph M. Rider, Jr. and Laurene M. Kraynick. He was the brother of the late Ralph M. Rider and Cecil H. Rider.
Don spent his formative years in Missouri and had been a resident of Wayland for the past 57 years, after having resided in Somerville for several years. He received his BS in electronics from the University of Central Missouri, having been inducted into the University's chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon, a mathematics honor society. For over 30 years he was an electronics engineer with Raytheon and later Honeywell, and retired in 1982. During World War II he served his country proudly as the chief communications officer on board the Liberty Ship commissioned as the Charles J. Seghers with the U.S. Merchant Marine. He was an amateur radio operator with the call sign of W1RSR and later gained the distinction of earning a two-letter call sign, W1UB. He was a founding member and the trustee of the Honeywell 1200 Radio Club. Having grown up on his parents' self-sustaining farm during the Great Depression, Don loved developing and caring for vegetable and flower gardens as well as fruit trees at his residence over the years.
Visitation hours will be held on Thursday, August 1, 2013 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the John C. Bryant Funeral Home, 56 Pemberton Road (off Rte 30), Wayland.
Family and friends may gather at the funeral home on Friday, August 2, 2013 at 9:00 am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am at Good Shepherd Parish, St. Zepherin Church, 99 Main Street (Rte 27), Wayland.
For those who so desire, memorial gifts in Don’s memory may be sent to the charity of the donor’s choice.