Name: Visitation for Benjamin C. Ryder
Start: 2022-03-14T14:00:00.000Z
End: 2022-03-14T15:30:00.000Z
Location: Funk Funeral Home - Bristol

Benjamin C. Ryder, 79, of Farmington, passed away on Monday, March 7, 2022, at UConn John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington. He was the beloved husband of Debra Collins Ryder. Ben was born on October 19, 1942, in Hartford; the son of the late A. Chandler Ryder and Jeanette (Funk) Ryder and was raised in Granby, CT. Following graduation from Kingswood School in West Hartford in 1961, he enlisted in the United States Air Force until 1966. After leaving the Air Force he attended and later graduated from the University of New Hampshire with an Economics Degree in 1969. He met his first wife Frances Provencher in college and they had one daughter, Tiffany Ryder of California. After his divorce he met and later married Debra Collins, a former dancer with the Hartford Ballet and they have one son, Christian Ryder of Farmington. Ben's career started with Connecticut Mutual Insurance as an Insurance Agent and Agency Finance Officer and later Merrill Lynch as an Estate Planner until his retirement in 2005. He organized Connecticut Mutual's Run for Life, on the Board of Directors of the Hartford Ballet, Freemason at Evening Star Lodge in Unionville, Knights Templar, American Legion, Cub Scout leader and "rec" soccer coach. Ben enjoyed fly fishing and distance running (completing the Ocean State Marathon, Newport, RI, 1984) In addition to his wife, daughter and son Ben is survived by his granddaughter Kendra Poehler of CA; sister Linda Ryder-Munet of East Haddam; brother and sister-in-law Watson and Beth Collins of West Hartford; nephew W. Reid Collins of West Hartford and numerous Funk and Ryder cousins. The visiting hours will be Monday morning, March 14, 2022 from 10 to 11:30 AM at Funk Funeral Home, 35 Bellevue Avenue, Bristol, which has the honor of serving the family. A Masonic Service will take place at 11:30 AM in the funeral home. Interment with full Military Honors will follow in Granby Cemetery, 284 N Granby Rd, Granby, CT. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any contributions be made to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut https://ctbigs.org/memorial-donation/. To leave an online condolence go to Ben's memorial page at www.FunkFuneralHome.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Hartford Courant on Mar. 10, 2022.

Memories and Condolences
for Benjamin Ryder

Sponsored by the family.

6 Entries

Wolfgang and Elke, Brussels/Belgium

March 14, 2022

Our sincere condolences to Debbie, Christian, Tiffany and the whole family. We were just this minute looking for the latest contact details of Ben and Debbie with the hope to get in touch and meet this summer, after 25 years of not having been in Hartford. We practically found Ben´s obituary online, sitting here in Brussels, at the exact time of his service. What a sad coincidence! He was such a great guy, always positive and pleasant company. Wolfgang remembers him as one of his dearest colleagues, office neighbours and good friend at Connecticut Mutual.
Elke met him and Debbie for the first and only time in 1997 when Wolfgang took her down memory lane. They generously invited us for an unforgettable lunch at Apricots. Elke will always remember his open smile and warm personality.
We are so very sad to have "missed" him by only a few months.
Our thoughts are with the whole family. We will always remember Ben fondly.

Barbara Ann MacDonald

March 12, 2022

First, my condolences to Ben's family. Eileen, so great that you were able to gather with some Granby people and reminisce about "Benny". I bet Desi had some stories to tell.

Eileen FOGARTY Kearns

March 11, 2022

One more thing...today at lunch here in South Carolina with Granby friends, in talking about Ben, were were taken back to those long ago days and Ben was Benny again!

Eileen FOGARTY Kearns

March 11, 2022

I had lunch today with Granby friends who live nearby: Judy Adamick, Ned Bush, and Hal DesChamps. We get together a couple of times a year. Today we shared wonderful memories of Ben. Desi had the best ones and we laughed lots. Ben should have been there and I hope he was in spirit. He was in my wedding as Phil´s Best Man and as so often happens we lost touch. I always enjoyed catching up with him at GHS reunions. So very sad today but remembering our times with him was very special.

Funk Funeral Home

March 11, 2022

Our heartfelt sympathies in this, your time of grief.

Rev. Brian Peterson

March 10, 2022

What a privilege to know Ben - In prayer,

Showing 1 - 6 of 6 results