Janie Lee Rider

Janie Lee Rider (née Bellinger), 76, passed away on May 8, 2025, in Temple Terrace, Florida, holding her daughter's hands.

Born on October 13, 1948, in Indianapolis, Indiana, Janie lived a vibrant and determined life marked by entrepreneurial spirit, and an array of exotic pets including a skunk named Rascal, a duck named Waddles, a green wing macaw named Sam, and a blue-eyed Himalayan cat named Crystal, amongst many, many others.

A woman of fierce independence and strong opinions, Janie was no shrinking violet, and would tell you so as she enjoyed her favorite after work aperitif, a very cold Kir cocktail. Janie was as bawdy a classy old-school "broad" as a lady who chaired her local March of Dimes chapter could be. She had beautiful taste, but could also make you blush red with a naughty joke. She was sassy to her toes, even to her final days.

Janie attended fashion design college in Michigan until she met an artistic, accomplished and dashing widower, Alan Rider, at her job at Crowley's department store. Their May-December romance led to their wedding March 1, 1968, and Janie becoming step mother to Ann and Liz at the tender age of just 19. This period of time is hallmarked by their huge finch aviary and the fact they had installed very mod and very expensive wall to wall white wool carpet, which Ann and Liz promptly stained with red Mercurochrome antiseptic in an epic sister battle. (They also coated the walls).

It was nine years later they had their first daughter together, Rebecca, quickly followed by an Irish twin, Rachel. Janie named the girls after characters in books by her favorite author at the time, Daphne du Maurier.

An ad executive, Alan's success allowed Janie to work when she preferred or at times stay home with her stepdaughters and pursue her interests, which included breeding and showing champion bloodline Boxers around the country. Her most accomplished dog was named Nicholoff's Gentleman Joe, and he was a most treasured and loved family pet, and attended several school show and tells with his ribbons and trophies.

For a time, Janie worked as a dental hygienist and her children forever after had to chew Red Cote tablets to show if they had missed any plaque after brushing.

Janie also enjoyed pursuing charity endeavors; she could throw one helluva luncheon or cocktail party. Since she was also perpetually on a new fad diet, we do remember her sensational salads so fondly.

Janie used her fashion design and pattern making to do special things for her family. As a master seamstress and designer, she made Ann a flapper dress for a middle school dance which won the "best costume" award, and also sewed Alan a coverall suit he could zip over his dress clothes so he could ride his motorcycle to work. She also loved making all of the girls hand sewn clothing.

Recollections may vary, but it's possible she once took a couture gown into a fitting room and made a pattern from it then and there, later slinking into a function in the clingy, draping gown where someone in the designer's coterie demanded to know how she'd gotten that incredible smoky blue colorway of the dress. She breezily replied she'd contacted the designer directly in New York to have it custom made. Ahem.

Alan's work later took them to Louisiana where he took a job as senior vice president with Maison Blanche in New Orleans. As he was part of a Mardi Gras crewe, Janie enjoyed the fine galas and balls surrounding the event. A very accomplished seamstress, Janie would create and sew her own bespoke gowns. One assumes the patterns were not all cribbed, but one can never be certain.

At one point, Alan and Janie were tasked with entertaining a very famous designer whose privacy we shall protect. Apparently after they dropped him off at his hotel, he picked up a "friend" for the night on Bourbon Street and in the morning woke up to find his wallet and every stitch of his clothing gone. He sheepishly called his "hosts" and they had to go buy him clothes and bring them plus some cash to his hotel so he could get home. Janie found the whole thing beyond amusing.

Tragically, Alan suffered a fatal brain aneurism at the age of 49, leaving Janie widowed with two very young children when she was just 36. Having spent most of her adult life being an executive's wife and without much of a resume unless being charming at dinner parties counted, she bravely scooped up her girls and moved them to Destin, Florida to spend a year going to the beach and deciding her next steps.

Janie was then brave again, deciding to become an entrepreneur. She opened her own fine lingerie boutique in Palm Harbor, Florida, named Paphian Goddess. Situated on the island of Cyprus, Paphos was known as the center of worship for the goddess Venus/Aphrodite of Roman and Greek mythology. The boutique reflected her fearlessness around sexuality. Making women feel beautiful and confident in lacy lingerie was right up her alley. There was nary a granny panty to be found.

After running the boutique successfully for several years, she decided she wanted more financial security for her children, and things like health insurance and a 401k match. Entrepreneur life is tough when you're the sole breadwinner with very young kids. So Janie sold off the business and transitioned into commission sales at Dimmitt Cadillac, where her talent quickly shone through. Janie not only excelled in sales, making impressive revenue, but also won multiple sales contests; one memorable prize was a deep-sea fishing charter from which she returned with a great suntan and chest freezer full of fresh grouper. Her secret: she would practically ignore the man and convince the WIFE she wanted that Caddy.

Meanwhile, she built an amazing home and amazing memories for her children. She bought a lovely Tudor style house and had an in ground pool with a slide installed. There were many, many beach days with a cooler full of sandwiches. One morning, Janie woke up to find the kids had discovered bottle rockets stay lit underwater and had shot about twenty of them into the pool and then had accidentally set the yard on fire. We could write a book about all the shenanigans!

Her best friend of so many decades was Jane Lee. Since her name was Janie Lee, this seemed liked divine providence. Her kiddos and Jane's kiddos are sweet friends to this day.

Janie also hired clowns with live monkeys for birthdays. She made Christmasses so special with loads of presents and special meals and decorating. One year she bought a live Christmas tree so tall it had to go in the two story foyer and you couldn't even see the top. In those years, Janie grew her hair out ultra long and was constantly tan. She'd straighten her hair every day and looked like a curvier 70's Cher. This is how her girls remember her best, in a cloud of Yves Saint Laurent Opium eau de parfum, always with immaculate nails and her face "done" before she'd step foot out the door. This woman loved her lipstick!

One time, Janie brought the macaw Sam to school for an event dressed up like a pirate, even blacking a few of her teeth out with waterproof eyeliner for full effect. We are pretty sure Johnny Depp stole his Pirates of the Caribbean look from Janie. Then, one memorable Halloween, Janie found a dramatic hooded cloak and painted her face to look like a mannequin. She played scary Halloween sounds and sat stock still on a chair in the front yard with a candy bowl in her lap. When kids would come close to get candy, she'd say Boo! Those are the memories of her being so creative and EXTRA that we all cherish.

Janie's career continued to flourish. In an era when few women held leadership roles in the automotive industry, Janie become general manager at a Jeep dealership-an accomplishment that underscored her tenacity and ability to be ballsy and lead teams of mostly men. She was leaving that Jeep dealership one evening in 1989 when a drunk driver changed her life, and that of her children and loved ones, forever. The drunk driver drifted out of his lane and hit her head-on. She was life-flighted and spent several weeks in a coma. Her daughters were 14 and 12. Janie's parents, Russ and Till, moved down to Florida from Michigan to care for the children and their daughter as she fought for her life. Her daddy, one of the best humans whom has ever walked this Earth, used to call her James when she was young because she was such a tomboy. He came to rescue her when she was broken.

After many surgeries, Janie survived, but had suffered a life-altering traumatic brain injury and was permanently disabled from crush injuries. There are no words to describe the ripple effect of the drunk driver's poor life choices. He ruined her life. There's no other way to state it.

Our amazing, beautiful, brave, fearless mommy was a changed person. All of those qualities of independence and fearlessness which had served her so well before made her hard-headed and challenging. Despite everything, though, she never lost her wicked sense of humor, intelligence, and bravery. She went on to have many other adventures which we will not chronicle here, but if you've read this far, please send up a prayer for our mother who made her life entirely about giving her children the best life and having the most fun doing it until a reckless person stole her health and vitality.

And please- if you know someone with addiction issues, we beg you to get them help before they destroy another family and the life of a woman who deserved to sashay into her remaining years chased by sexy silver foxes. It's simply not fair.

Janie is deeply loved by her family, and always will be, wherever she's currently holding court. She is survived by her daughters Rebecca Rider Premo (Jason) and Rachel Rider Hudalla (Nathan); stepdaughters Dr. N. Ann Rider (Ralph Leck) and Elizabeth Oulliber (Steve); her brother Russell T. Bellinger Jr.; and sister Elaine Toth (Ronald). She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Alan Emil Rider; her parents Russell Thomas Bellinger and Phyllis Laura Szatkowsky; and her sister Sharon Sage.

May her memory remind you to sow oats, be extra, go boldly, and be fearless. You never know what cards you'll be dealt in this life. Make each day special in its way and go ahead and use the good china, and not just on holidays. Wear the expensive jewelry to the grocery on a Tuesday. Treat yourself as you'd treat a distinguished guest, because you are.

One of the last things Janie's daughters were able to do for her was to give her a fresh manicure and paint her nails red so she could meet Jesus looking put-together. The shade just so happened to be called "unbreakable heart"- apropos for a woman who always remained optimistic and believed so very much in love.

Janie has chosen to be cremated and her ashes will be sprinkled on the ocean in Key West, surrounded by friends and family, where her beloved husband Alan's ashes were sprinkled so many years ago.

In lieu of flowers or donations, simply go live your best life and maybe try a Kir cocktail while you're at it. Cheers to our mama!

"If only there could be an invention that bottled up a memory, like scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living the moment all over again."

- Daphne du Maurier, "Rebecca"