Arthur W. Rider, 89 of Derry, NH, died Sunday, March 11, 2007 at his home in Derry. Mr. Rider was born in Somerville, MA on April 9, 1917, a son of the late John A. and Annie T. (Beeder) Rider. He was a resident of Derry since 1926 and a graduate of Pinkerton Academy, class of 1936. While attending Pinkerton he assisted his father doing maintenance at the school. Prior to WWII he worked as a plumber. He was a member of the National Guard and served with the US Army during WWII in the Pacific Theatre, earning a bronze star. From 1953-1980 Mr. Rider worked for the Portsmouth Naval Yard, retiring in 1980 as a supervising foreman. He was a member of Derry Civil Defense, Radiological Monitoring, was an auxiliary police officer and a member of the police association. Mr. Rider was an active adult member of the Boy Scouts and was a Past President of the VFW, Post #1617 in Derry. He enjoyed woodworking, working on cars and could fix just about anything mechanical.
He is survived by four children, Arthur W. Rider, Jr. of Derry, John F. Rider of Pittsfield, NH, Karen L. Wunderlich of Sandown, NH, Larry K. Rider of Derry, seven grandchildren, a sister, Evelyn McCarthy of Kentucky, two brothers, Kenneth Rider of Kentucky, Robert Rider of Florida, a sister-in-law, Helen Rider of Florida, and by many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Isabella G. (Hall) Rider in 1997 and by a brother, John Rider.
Visiting hours were held from 5-8pm, Thursday, March 15th at the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch Street, Derry. Funeral services were held on Friday at 10:00am in the funeral home. The burial was in the Forest Hill Cemetery, E. Derry. Memorial contributions may be made to the Seaside Elderly Day Out Center, 441R Lafayette Rd., Hampton, NH 03842.