Ryder, Jeanne of Lawrence, formerly of Lexington, February 28, 2025. Beloved daughter of the late Kenneth G. Ryder and Virginia Patricia (Gagnon) Ryder. Devoted sister of Anne Wilson and her husband Bob of Wakefield, Bruce Ryder and his wife Maura of Millis, Amy Pickel and her husband Jeff of Plymouth, and Julie Lammers and her husband Brendan of Milton. She is also survived by 7 cherished nieces and nephews, Mark, Michelle, Daniel, Julia, Brian, Grace, and Madeleine.

Jeannie had a lifelong love of music. From her pre-school record playing and piano lessons, she added flute and recorder through her high school years, graduating from Lexington High School in 1969. During her time at LHS, she also was active in the band, chorus, and Concert Choir as well as theatrical productions. She took that love of the arts to Northeastern University where she graduated in 1974 with an Independent Major focused on music and Liberal Arts. While at NU, she broadened her talents by playing harpsichord with the Early Music Players and performed in several concerts. She was a publisher of the weekly college newspaper, gaining life-long friends and putting her finger skills to work typing and editing, eventually serving as editor of the 1974 yearbook.

After graduating, she spent some time working in publishing before pursuing her dream of working in music by moving to New York City and attending Columbia University. Earning her Master's degree in Musicology, her typesetting and editing skills enabled her to survive economically as she worked on, though unfortunately never completed, her doctoral thesis. While attending Columbia, she also edited the university's Current Musicology journal.

Having fallen in love with the NYC vibe, she fully participated, throwing herself into several theater and choral subscriptions including being a devotee of the Metropolitan Opera. She would roam the city to investigate its many neighborhoods and the hidden parks and the architectural and cultural gems in them. A lover of Boston sports, particularly the Red Sox and Celtics, she would be amazed at how her co-worker Yankee fans would be hard to find the day after a Red Sox win. After 36 years living in Manhattan, she moved back to the Boston area in 2013 to be closer to the family.

Jeannie loved her trips home to the Boston area to spend time with loved ones for holidays and other family celebrations, and delighted in spending time with her nieces and nephews. Never one to forget a birthday or special occasion, Jeannie always made sure she had a card in the mail (usually one with her beloved Snoopy on it) or a thoughtfully selected gift to mark the occasion.

An Anglophile, especially after the musical "British Invasion" of the 1960s, she spent many summers on trips to Britain working on her doctoral thesis, usually including some days on architecture tours as well. In later life, her intellectual curiosity expanded as she studied the family's genealogy and learned of deeper connections to Great Britain, most of her parent's ancestors having arrived in North America before 1700 including over a dozen Mayflower passengers.

A thoughtful and generous soul, she will be missed by her family, her many high school and college friends, and work colleagues who all treasured her loyal friendship and firmly stated and informed opinions and knowledge of very many topics. Her family members are devastated by her early loss, and proud of her perseverance through her chronic diseases. We are so glad that we were able to have her closer to us during the last decade of her life.

Calling hours will be held Friday March 7 at the Douglass Funeral Home, 51 Worthen Rd. Lexington from 3pm to 6pm. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association. Interment private.