Mrs. Helen Lee (Brooks) Ryder age 80 of Provincetown died peacefully in her sleep, at her home at Sea Shore Point in Provincetown on Saturday, November 6, 2010. Born in Somerville, MA on June 30, 1930, she was the daughter of the late Arthur and Helen (Garland) Brooks. Mrs. Ryder was the wife of the late James Ryder, a former Wellfleet Selectman who died in 1987, just one year after they were married.
Mrs. Ryder lived in Watertown and graduated from Watertown high school in 1948. In 1950 she graduated from the Katherine Gibbs School in Boston. She worked at her father's business, Brooks & Cahoon, a manufacturer's representative company located in Cambridge from 1950 until the company was sold.
In the late '60s she lived in Lynn and worked in a managerial position at Stone & Webster in Boston, retiring and moving to Wellfleet in 1986. She lived there until moving to Seashore Point in July of 2008.
She is survived by her sister Bette A. Malatesta and her husband Alan of Eastham, her brother David A. Brooks and his wife Judy of Novato, CA, her nieces, Karen Holliser, Susan Schmidt, Lisa Forest Malatesta - Cundari and Lindsey J.. Malatesta, her nephews, Steven Malatesta and Christopher Malatesta, her 5 grandnieces, 4 grandnephews, her two cats Harley and Tobey, affectionately known as her “boys” and her many friends at Seashore Point.
A Memorial celebration of her life will be held on Saturday November 13, 2010 from 2:00 – 4:00pm at Seashore Point, 100 Alden St. Provincetown. There are no visiting hours. If desired memorial contributions in her honor may be made c/o The mustard seed kitchen, P.O. Box 833 Wellfleet, MA 02667. It is a facility that Helen appreciated for their generosity, warmth and kindness to people in need in the Wellfleet area.