Cynthia Watters Rider passed away peacefully at home in Bedford, MA on July 30, 2012. She was born in Springfield, VT on August 22, 1934, spent her childhood in the Worcester, MA area, and after graduating from Holden High School, she went on to graduate from Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ. After marrying Theodore H. Rider, whom she met at the Harvard Business School, they moved to Bedford, MA, where they resided for 48 years until his passing in 2009. She was proud to call Bedford her home for over half a century.



Cindy Rider was a tireless volunteer for many organizations throughout Bedford, including the Bedford Council on Aging, where she sat on the Board of Directors as well as volunteered her time, Bedford Santa Claus Program, Bedford Woman's Club, Emerson Hospital Auxiliary, and you could often find her hosting the jewelry sales tables during Bedford Day and White Elephant sales sponsored by local churches.



Cindy was an avid knitter and brought her knitting needles and yarn wherever she went. She was passionate about knitting squares for the blankets that the veterans at the Bedford VA Medical Center receive during their stay. She always made sure there were colors that the few women veterans would appreciate, too. These little details exemplified the vast scope of her generosity; she understood that even the smallest detail could have a huge impact on the recipient, and to Cindy, no detail was too small to address if it benefited someone in need.



Cindy not only knitted hundreds of these squares over the years, but she volunteered her time at the VA Medical Center too, as she also did at Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford. She radiated compassion, patience and warmth that comforted the residents and patients, and made her a favorite volunteer wherever she went.



Cindy and Ted loved to travel, both in the US and throughout the world, and Cindy had a delightful sense of humor that garnered her instant and lifelong friendships wherever they went.



She is survived by two sisters, Suzanne Reed of West Dennis, MA, Nancy Bagg of Park Ridge, IL, sister-in-law Elizabeth Sjogren of West Dennis, MA, two sons, one daughter and their spouses, Scott and Michiko Rider of Beaverton, OR, Suzanne Rider Burg and John Burg of Lawrenceville, GA, and Jonathan and Gena Rider of Holliston, MA, as well as five grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.



A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 11, 2012, at 10:00 AM at the First Church of Christ, Congregational, 25 The Great Road, Bedford, MA 01730.



In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Bedford Council on Aging, 12 Mudge Way, Bedford, MA 01730