[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Alfred Cornelius (Fred) Ryder III, 82, a third generation Winter Haven resident, died peacefully at home on April 19, 2026, surrounded by the love and memories of a life well lived. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend whose steady presence and kind spirit touched many lives over the years.<\/p>\n
Fred was born April 2, 1944, at Winter Haven Hospital as the second child of the late Alfred Ryder II and Ruby Ryder. His father owned the Electric Motor Service Company on 6th Street and serviced the motors that drove the area’s booming citrus industry of the 30’s and 40’s. His mother, a musical conservatory graduate, was a pianist, violinist, and organ player who was never absent to play at First Baptist Church of Winter Haven. Their parents taught Fred and his older sister, Ruby, the values of hard work, loyalty, and family. These values guided Fred throughout his life.<\/p>\n
Fred graduated from Winter Haven High School, where he played football, in 1962. He attended Western Carolina University, building a foundation that supported a lifetime of practical skill and determination. After earning his Bachelor’s in Art, Fred returned to Winter Haven to work for the Polk County School system at Denison Junior High School for over a decade before joining Ridge Vocational Technical Center after it opened in 1979. Fred retired in 2003 from Ridge Technical College and the Polk County School system. Over the course of his 35-year career in education, he served as a civics teacher, art teacher, coordinator, business manager, assistant principal, and director. During that time, he also earned his Master’s in Education and Specialist’s in Adult Education from the University of South Florida.<\/p>\n
Fred stayed active in the community. He was a member of the Haines City Rotary Club from 2003 and worked with Toys for Tots for many years picking up and distributing toys. He attended First Baptist Church and Grace Community Church in Auburndale for the last 25 years.<\/p>\n
Fred loved fast cars and music. He had a ’42 Plymouth in high school and multiple L82 Corvettes. He was a member of the Central Florida Street Rod Association since 2004 and was always learning about and buying old cars.<\/p>\n
Fred was an avid tennis player and spent many summers on the court. He had a table tennis serve that just could not be returned.<\/p>\n
Fred was known for his athleticism, his laughter, his vivacious personality, and his appetite. He was a defender of personal opportunity and individual rights. He believed in addressing the needs of the community to drive the goals of the educational institutions for which he worked. He was a staunch defender for vocational-technical programs and the opportunities they provide. He was quick to make a friend, quick to make you laugh, and quick to provide guidance when he believed you were wrong. He never met a stranger.<\/p>\n
Fred found joy in simple pleasures and in the company of those he loved. His life was marked by quiet strength, devotion to God, and a deep appreciation for the people around him. His legacy will forever remain in the hearts of those he touched.<\/p>\n
Fred is survived by his loving wife Kay G. Ryder; by his sons Chris (wife Hilerie) Ryder and Scott Gaffney; and by his grandchildren Austin Ryder, Aeryn Ryder, and Matthew Gaffney.
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Fred C. RyderAlfred Cornelius (Fred) Ryder III, 82, a third generation Winter Haven resident, died peacefully at home on April 19, 2026, surrounded by the love and memories of a life well lived. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend whose steady presence and kind spirit touched many lives over the years. Fred […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3396,"featured_media":10223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"
Alfred Cornelius (Fred) Ryder III, 82, a third generation Winter Haven resident, died peacefully at home on April 19, 2026, surrounded by the love and memories of a life well lived. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend whose steady presence and kind spirit touched many lives over the years.<\/p>
Fred was born April 2, 1944, at Winter Haven Hospital as the second child of the late Alfred Ryder II and Ruby Ryder. His father owned the Electric Motor Service Company on 6th Street and serviced the motors that drove the area's booming citrus industry of the 30's and 40's. His mother, a musical conservatory graduate, was a pianist, violinist, and organ player who was never absent to play at First Baptist Church of Winter Haven. Their parents taught Fred and his older sister, Ruby, the values of hard work, loyalty, and family. These values guided Fred throughout his life.<\/p>
Fred graduated from Winter Haven High School, where he played football, in 1962. He attended Western Carolina University, building a foundation that supported a lifetime of practical skill and determination. After earning his Bachelor's in Art, Fred returned to Winter Haven to work for the Polk County School system at Denison Junior High School for over a decade before joining Ridge Vocational Technical Center after it opened in 1979. Fred retired in 2003 from Ridge Technical College and the Polk County School system. Over the course of his 35-year career in education, he served as a civics teacher, art teacher, coordinator, business manager, assistant principal, and director. During that time, he also earned his Master's in Education and Specialist's in Adult Education from the University of South Florida.<\/p>
Fred stayed active in the community. He was a member of the Haines City Rotary Club from 2003 and worked with Toys for Tots for many years picking up and distributing toys. He attended First Baptist Church and Grace Community Church in Auburndale for the last 25 years.<\/p>
Fred loved fast cars and music. He had a '42 Plymouth in high school and multiple L82 Corvettes. He was a member of the Central Florida Street Rod Association since 2004 and was always learning about and buying old cars.<\/p>
Fred was an avid tennis player and spent many summers on the court. He had a table tennis serve that just could not be returned.<\/p>
Fred was known for his athleticism, his laughter, his vivacious personality, and his appetite. He was a defender of personal opportunity and individual rights. He believed in addressing the needs of the community to drive the goals of the educational institutions for which he worked. He was a staunch defender for vocational-technical programs and the opportunities they provide. He was quick to make a friend, quick to make you laugh, and quick to provide guidance when he believed you were wrong. He never met a stranger.<\/p>
Fred found joy in simple pleasures and in the company of those he loved. His life was marked by quiet strength, devotion to God, and a deep appreciation for the people around him. His legacy will forever remain in the hearts of those he touched.<\/p>
Fred is survived by his loving wife Kay G. Ryder; by his sons Chris (wife Hilerie) Ryder and Scott Gaffney; and by his grandchildren Austin Ryder, Aeryn Ryder, and Matthew Gaffney.<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[133,86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-133","category-obituaries"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3396"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12444"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12444\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12447,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12444\/revisions\/12447"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/classnotes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}