Sidney Victor Rieder

Sidney Victor Rieder, 96, of Marblehead died peacefully early Wednesday morning, April 18, 2018 surrounded by family after a long and meaningful life. He was the devoted husband of Evelyn R. (Cohen) Rieder for 69 years. Born in Philadelphia, PA on October 22, 1921, he was the son of the late Herman L. Rieder and Frances (Goldstein) Rieder. As one of the last of his generation, he experienced the consequences of the great depression when the longtime family commercial woodworking business was declared bankrupt. Fortunate to win a scholarship along with the help of his eldest brother, the late Morton F Rieder, he was able to attend the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. Immediately after graduating he enlisted in the Army and was trained as a medic and subsequently sent to Carnegie Tech for Army specialized training. He then served the remainder of the war fighting through Europe. He resumed his life quest after the war by enrolling as a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania and married shortly thereafter. After receiving a doctorate in biochemistry, the newly conferred Dr. Rieder moved his young family to New Haven to begin his career in science as Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Yale University. At the start of 1961, he again moved his now family of five to Marblehead where he would reside for the next 57 years and proudly assumed the position of Director of Chemistry at Massachusetts General Hospital where he also concluded his career 25 years later. In that position, his daily work impacted the thousands of individuals who sought medical care at the hospital.

Sidney spent the remainder of his life traveling the world with his wife, Evelyn, and focusing on his family. Sidney was formed by a generation that gave much and expected little in return. To that end he revealed unparalleled inner strength and stamina throughout his last decade of life. At the unlikely age of 84, he found himself sending his youngest son off to war in Iraq. Then, at the age of 89, he assumed the role of primary caregiver for his daughter Sandra Aileen who ultimately succumbed to leukemia. In his final years he selflessly insisted on caring for his wife as they struggled together with her diagnosis of dementia.

He is survived by his wife Evelyn. He is predeceased by his daughter Sandra Aileen Rieder and survived by his son Ronald J Rieder and his partner Martha Miller of Andover, and his son Steven M Rieder of Burlington.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association 225 N. Michigan Ave., FL. 17 Chicago, IL 60601, a cause dear to Sidney Rieder.