Stephanie Ryder

Stephanie Ryder of Westfield, NJ, age 80, passed away on August 30, 2024, following an illness. Born on October 6, 1943, in Kingston, NY, she lived in Kingston, in New Haven, CT and in Springfield, NJ before her family settled in Cranford, NJ in the early 1950’s. The first of three children, her early recreational pursuits were ice-skating, canoeing, bowling and dancing. She also worked part-time at her parents’ several restaurants in Union County, NJ.

She graduated from Cranford High School in 1961 and then married her high school sweetheart, each of them taking art courses at Pratt Institute. While rearing a family, they lived in Brooklyn, NY, and then in Lincoln Park, NJ, where she served as President of the town’s Junior Women’s Club. From there, they moved to Framingham, MA, and then to West Orange, NJ, where she acted as Set Designer for Incandescent Theater.

Friends would convene at Stephanie’s home for champagne brunch, and she also threw outrageous Halloween parties. She could seldom be found far from her furry dogs or pet rabbit. Her later homes were in nearby Summit, Cranford and Westfield, NJ. Her business pursuits were in real estate and as a home decoration consultant before working in the health insurance industry. The affinity group in which she was the most active is the Musical Box Society, International (MBSI), for which she served as a Board member, she chaired its 50th Anniversary convention and also chaired MBSI’s East Coast Chapter. Overall, her greatest joy besides family & friends came from traveling to exotic locations and enjoying art and music.

 She is predeceased by her parents, Hughes and Frances Ryder and her former husband, Robert Freese, Sr. She is survived by her two sons, Bob Freese, Jr. and Bill Freese, as well as her two brothers, Stephen and Jeremie.

 Friends and family are invited to visit and celebrate Stephanie’s amazing life on Friday, September 6, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a Remembrance Service at 1 p.m. at Gray Memorial Funeral Home, 12 Springfield Ave., Cranford, NJ. Please go to: www.grayfuneralhomes.com to offer condolences.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a tribute gift be made in Stephanie’s memory to the Morris Museum of Morristown, NJ in support of its mechanical music library at https//morrismuseum.org/support-us.