William Wayne "Bill" Rediker

TUNBRIDGE - William "Bill" Wayne Rediker, 59, died Tuesday evening at his home on Vt. Route 110 in Tunbridge. He was born Nov. 11, 1949, in Framingham, Mass., the son of William L. and Elizabeth (Fredericks) Rediker. He graduated from Framingham North High School in 1968 and then went to work at Statue Farm in Framingham. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 1970. On Sept. 13, 1970, Bill married the love of his life, Karen Anne Murphy. Their wedding was held just two weeks before Bill was scheduled to deploy to Vietnam where he would serve with the 101st Airborne, Company B "Kingsman" as an aircraft armament specialist during the Vietnam War. His dedication to his company and "the guys" compelled Bill to extend his regular tour of duty. Upon his return to the States, his grandfather helped him find work as a "rewinder" at Wheet Electrical in Framingham. Bill soon mastered the skill of electric motor repair and after a few years he and Karen moved to Vermont where he was employed at T&L Electric of White River Junction. Later he would work at the Lebanon office of Barre Electric and as a mechanic at New England Motor Sports in White River Junction. He was forced to stop working in the early 1990s. He and his wife lived in Tunbridge and South Royalton, later in Wilder and then in 1992 settled in their home on Route 110 back in Tunbridge.

Bill was mechanically inclined, very artistic and had an incredible love of the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping and tracking. He was an incredible marksman and possessed a wealth of knowledge about shooting, ballistics and gun care. Many people sought out his expert advice and because of this, Bill ended up doing quite a bit of gunsmith work on the side. Another hobby that brought Bill great pleasure was working on cars. He was a real automotive enthusiast. Bill was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 3 of White River Junction, a member at large of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Combat Veterans of New England. He also belonged to the National Rifle Association, the DAV Auxiliary and the Vietnam Veterans of America.

He is survived by his wife, Karen Rediker of Tunbridge; a son, Craig Rediker of Hartland; a daughter, Stacey Britch of South Royalton; four grandchildren; his mother and stepfather, Elizabeth and Anthony Lentini of Natick, Mass.; a brother, Marshall Rediker of South Royalton; two sisters, Diane Gifford of Mansfield, Mass., and Nancy Sperlich of Natick, Mass.; a very special nephew, Jon Kelley, who currently lives with Bill and Karen; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his dad and a brother, Joseph Rediker.

Friends may call Friday evening, March 20, 2009, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Boardway & Cilley Funeral Home in Chelsea. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 21, at 2 p.m. in the Tunbridge Church in Tunbridge with the Rev. David Wolfe officiating. Burial services with full military honors will be held later in the spring time at the Vermont Veterans Cemetery in Randolph Center. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the DAV Transportation Fund, Veterans Administration Medical Center, 215 N. Main St., White River Junction, VT 05009. ?