Sharon Lou Rider

1947 - 2025
Obituary for Sharon Lou Rider (Matthew)
May 5, 1947 – November 5, 2025
Sharon Lou Rider (78), of Belen, New Mexico, passed away peacefully on November 5, 2025, surrounded by family and loved ones. She was a devoted wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and friend whose kindness, faith, and love for life touched everyone who knew her.
Born in La Junta, Colorado, on May 5, 1947, to Lula Lee Huddleston and Jackie Floren Matthew. Sharon grew up with a strong sense of family and faith that guided her throughout her life. In 1973, she married the love of her life, John David Rider, and together they began their journey in California.
Sharon spent most of her life in La Mesa, California, before later retiring with her husband to Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and eventually settling in Belen, where she enjoyed her later years close to her brother John and his wife Jan.
A woman of many passions, Sharon had a special love for raising and showing her basset hounds. Her dedication and enthusiasm for the hobby brought her great fulfillment and recognition, earning multiple championships in confirmation, tracking, and agility competitions.
Sharon's deep and abiding faith was the foundation of her life. While living in California, she was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Lemon Grove. After moving to New Mexico, she continued her faith journey with the Summit Christian Fellowship congregation in Cloudcroft.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved husband, Commander John David Rider, USN (Retired). She is survived by her loving children: William Patrick Callahan (Desiree), Yvonne Renee Rider, Shannon Carol Shoop, and James David Rider (Trudy); her dear brothers, John William Nesslage (Jan) and Ronald Lynn Nesslage; and her sisters, Michelle Mayre Holcomb (Mark) and Renee Lee Wolf (Fred).
Sharon was the proud grandmother of six grandchildren and great-grandmother to three great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind many nieces and nephews, all of whom cherished her warmth and gentle spirit.
Sharon will be remembered for her loving heart, steadfast faith, and the joy she brought to everyone fortunate enough to know her.
She will be laid to rest alongside her beloved husband at Fort Stanton State Veterans Cemetery in New Mexico at a later date.
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Please sign Sharon's online tribute at www.romerofuneralhomenm.com Romero Funeral Home, 609 N. Main St., Belen, NM.