Rider South passed away peacefully Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016, at Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City, New Mexico at age eighty-two.

Rider was born in Oceanside, California, on January 22, 1934.

He lived his early life with his family on a homestead in Southern California, affectionately known as Ghost Mountain, being home-schooled by his Mother, Tanya until transferring to public schools in the San Diego region.

In the spring of 1952 he graduated from Point Loma High School in San Diego, and that summer accepted an apprenticeship into the Aircraft Mechanical Program at the Naval Air Station, NAS North Island in San Diego. After the school portion of the Apprenticeship, he served two years in the Army. After his discharge he returned to NAS, North Island and his Mechanical Job working on F-14 Tomcats as a civilian employee for the Department of the Navy, where he worked until his 1989 retirement.

In 1956 he met Lucille Iverson, as a student in her dance class. Their romance was years off, but they stayed in touch during his first marriage, where he had two sons, Steven and Tommy. Unfortunately, that marriage ended in 1977. He and Lucille married in October of 1980.

The couple moved to Silver City after Rider's retirement in 1989, where they thrived and developed an active social life in the community. Rider was active in the community, volunteering in the local Hospital, with the Town and Country Garden Club, the Cemetery Board and the Local Chapter of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.

Following Lucille's death in September of 2012, Rider concentrated his remaining time on his love of Politics and his wonderful little four leg beloved companion, Suzie, who accompanied him everywhere.

A celebration of Rider's life will be held Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 1 o'clock in the afternoon at Baca's Funeral Chapels. Concluding services and burial of his cremated remains will follow at the Rose Garden, which he maintained for many years.