January 26, 1946 – July 12, 2023
KILL DEVIL HILLS — With love and the fondest memories we announce the passing of Susan Marie Rider of Kill Devil Hills, NC. She was 77 years young when she peacefully passed away at her beach house, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her daughter Kathy Bernard of Kill Devil Hills, daughter Debra Rider and her husband, Raymond Blehar of Annapolis, MD, and her son Benjamin “Bingo” Rider of Kill Devil Hills; grandchildren Matthew Bernard and his wife Emily, Chris and Alex Bernard, Justin, Jordy, and Maya Rider; and four great-grandchildren Jessie, Grayson, Noah, and Zac Bernard. She is also survived by her sister, Janet Sissell of Kansas City, Missouri, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Susan was born in England shortly after her father, Logan Linville, met her mother, Lillian Margaret Needham, while he was stationed there in World War II. They moved back to the US, establishing a farm in Skidmore, Missouri. Susan grew up on the family farm with her sister, Janet. She was preceded in death by her brothers Malcolm Frederick and Lloyd Logan.
Upon graduation from secretary school in Springfield, Missouri, she was recruited by the federal government to serve as administrative staff. While stationed in Washington DC, she met her eventual husband, Benjamin F. Rider, with whom she raised their family as they served in overseas assignments in Germany, the Philippines, England, South Korea, Africa, and Greece. Susan and Benjamin eventually divorced and he preceded her in death.
Susan retired from the government in 1994 and built her dream home in the Outer Banks. Soon after, she started a second career with Twiddy real estate company. She spent the remaining years of her life creating thousands of memories with her family and friends at her home on the water’s edge — her “Happy Place.”
Susan had an amazing gift of making friends feel like family. Everyone who stayed at her home had the pleasure of waking up to the smell of coffee, bacon, and French toast. She loved to take her family to the beach during the days and then treat them to games of cards or crossword puzzle marathons in the evening.
Her love language was food and feeding people.
One of her greatest pleasures was spending quality time with and spoiling her grandchildren and great-grandchildren with her famous breakfasts, bags of junk food, or other delicacies that she whipped up in her kitchen.
We asked family and friends to describe Susan in one or two words, and their answers were not surprising: generous, kind, nice, thoughtful, sarcastic, stubborn, silly, smart, cultural, witty, and nurturing.
She was all those things and more.
Susan is gone in body, but her spirit lives on in all of those she touched and loved in her lifetime.
Her children will honor her wishes by holding a private service for immediate family members at her home. In lieu of flowers, well-wishers are asked to consider donations to St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Please share condolences with the family at gallopfuneralservices.com. Gallop Funeral Services was entrusted with arrangements.
