William C. Ryder, 87, of Bedford, died on January 13, 2023.

He was born and raised in Wakefield and was the son of the late Claude and Miriam (formerly Sculley) Ryder.

He was a graduate of Wakefield High School and earned his bachelor's degree in Engineering from Tufts University and Master's in Engineering from Northeastern University. He served in the US Army in England and Germany from 1955 to 1958.

In 1964, he married the former Marie Brady, whom he met on a Catholic youth skiing trip.  The couple lived briefly in Wakefield before establishing roots in Lexington with their young family. They moved to Bedford in the late 1990s and spent their most recent years at the Carleton-Willard Village.

Mr. Ryder was a parishioner and member of the choir at Sacred Heart Church in Lexington. A passionate singer, he later joined the Carleton-Willard choir.

He was an avid golfer and club champion twice at Bear Hill Country Club in the early 1970's. He regularly volunteered to teach golf to Veterans at the Patriot Golf Course in Bedford. He served as a Minuteman in the April 19 ^th celebrations in Lexington. He was civically engaged and an active supporter of voting rights, writing post cards even in his last year to support democracy. He enjoyed his friends and participated in many events at Carlton-Willard.

He is survived by his wife, Marie Ryder, his children and their spouses, Kathy Ryder and her husband Doug Imig of Hawaii, Bill Ryder and his wife Randi McGinnity of Arlington, and Tom Ryder and his wife Rose of Natick, and his grandchildren, Kathryn Ryder and her husband Evan Vadenais, Michelle Ryder, Newt Imig, David Imig, and Caitlin Ryder. He was predeceased by his sisters, Patricia Lewis and Claudia Martin. He is remembered by his family as a dear husband, father and grandfather. His nieces and nephews appreciated his love and presence in their lives.

Visitation will be held at the Bedford Funeral Home, 167 Great Rd., on Wednesday, January 18, from 4:00-7:00 PM.

A funeral service in celebration of his faith will be held at Bedford Funeral Home on Thursday, January 19, at 11:00 AM. Interment to follow at Westview Cemetery in Lexington, MA. For a livestream of the funeral service go to https://my.gather.app/remember/william-ryder

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The MCC Foundation , P.O. Box 8681, Lowell, MA 01853, Marie Ryder Beacon of Hope Scholarship in memo line. If you are making an online donation select "Marie Ryder Beacon of Hope Scholarship" from the dropdown list.