Ridley Gail Gunderson

Ridley G. Gunderson passed away unexpectedly at his home in Forest Hills, NY, on December 3, 2025. He was 67.

Ridley was a husband and father, a grandfather, a businessman, employer, a neighbor and man of the world.

Born March 25, 1958, in Duluth, Minnesota, Ridley grew up in multiple countries, including New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, France and Holland. He graduated high school from St. Albans School in Hertfordshire, England. This diversity of experience produced a thoughtful, inquisitive and insightful man with a unique world view. He earned a degree in Foreign Service with a focus on international politics from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Ridley was an academic who was not afraid to work for his education. In his early years he held a wide variety of jobs, from working at a Boots Pharmacy stocking shelves to pumping gas to manning switchboards. His first job in the metals industry was at a scrap yard, where his practical experience included a serious burn from an exploding blowtorch. From there his 40-year career spanned ferrous and nonferrous metals, with roles in sales, production, and information technology at leading manufacturers and trading firms, including Brandeis Intsel, and French producer Usinor Sacilor Steel.

He eventually moved into the financial side of the industry, joining a firm that provided inventory valuations and soon identified an unmet need in that niche. Always a trailblazer, Ridley established Sector3 Appraisals in 2004 to address the necessity in the market for experts, with practical metals industry experience, to provide informed, accurate inventory appraisals.

Under his steadfast leadership, Sector3 grew to become the industry leader. He poured himself into the company and his character is reflected in its growth, success, and in the excellence of its employees. As a business owner and employer for more than two decades, Ridley touched many lives, always lending a hand, making connections, spreading his knowledge and helping to build people up. When members of the Sector3 team were struck with serious illness or navigating personal difficulties, he kept them on the payroll, with full benefits, as long as they needed, stayed in close touch and sent ready-cook, gourmet meals to the home.

The energy he brought to Sector3 was also a feature of his personal life. He was not one with whom you would want to compete, whether on a mountainside or at the dining room table. He was a master at Trivial Pursuit. If he wanted to do something, he learned how, and to the annoyance of many, possessed an extraordinary ability to master almost anything with remarkable ease. To him, things were worth doing not because they were easy, but because they were hard. He skied, sailed, rode motorcycles, and was also one of those dads who could fix anything. The family home in Forest Hills was entirely gutted and renovated by him, a massive project done mostly at night after coming home from the office, and every weekend. His family lived a significant proportion of the ‘90s surrounded by bare sheetrock walls and plywood floors.

Yet somehow Ridley always found time to help his kids with all their various school projects, building elaborate working models, from a periscope that to this day sits on his son’s desk, to a hovercraft. The inclusion of the children in the home renovation, and his insistence on taking complicated, maximalist approaches to school projects were, in retrospect, a deliberate, and successful endeavor to pass on those skills of his and instill self-sufficiency in his children.

When not working at the office or on the house, Ridley was always learning, reading, listening to podcasts, and recommending books and articles. He believed strongly in the value of education and he implored those around him to follow his example, which not only led to their professional improvement, but also left them better informed about the world around them.

While he had a reputation for being tough at times, his family always reminded Sector3 staff that his bark was worse than his bite, and on the inside lived a teddy bear. He pushed people to learn what they were capable of, to complete projects that they saw as overwhelming, and to understand complex information they initially may have felt was over their heads. His children have many memories of him sitting beside them while they were young, editing their book reports or schoolwork, perhaps not always with an abundance of patience. Looking back, they’re surprised that none of their teachers ever questioned some of the assignments they turned in, which were clearly not the sole work of grade school students. And they certainly wonder how he would mark this up.

Balancing his serious side was his funny and mischievous side. Ridley loved to laugh at dinner with friends and family and was a rare and rugged individual who made an impression on everyone he met. He was the definition of a “good guy.” Meeting new people and seeing new places on his motorcycle was another love of his, exploring New England backroads. He especially enjoyed riding with his family, off-roading in Maine with his son Rid, or riding 3,000 miles with Christine from New York to the northern tip of Newfoundland in a two-week journey in 2018. He completed solo trips on the Translabrador Highway twice on his BMW R1200GSA: in 2016 and 2023, enjoying the beautiful scenery, always sending photos back to the family.

Ridley loved all animals, from the tiniest bug to the biggest moose. He wouldn’t hurt a fly and any insect that wandered into Ridley’s home was captured and released outside. He loved his three current dogs, and all those who came before them. Despite insisting that he disliked felines, cats of the neighborhood were drawn to him, often hopping on his lap whenever he sat outside, and the family took in several cats over the years that grew attached to him. He would feed and shelter every animal that came around, finding great humor in the raccoons or even opossums that came by for a bite. He was also one of those business owners who liked dogs in the office and interviews with jobseekers usually included a dog to assess character.

Most importantly, Ridley was proud of his family. He is survived by his wife Christine, who he met in 1976 in Fremonville, France. They married in 1984, recently celebrating their 41st anniversary. Together they raised three children, Ridley Gunderson Jr, Katya Gunderson, and Anja Gunderson. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Taku Ridley Gunderson and Nami Rain Gunderson. Ridley, his wife and his kids were a close-knit unit, and despite the immense loss of one of its pillars, they will forever remain a five-person team.

A celebration of life will be held in January 2026. To pay tribute to his life and impact and continue his legacy of caring for all creatures, big and small, his family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Vintage Pet Rescue at the link found below.

https://ridleygunderson.funraise.org/