Peacefully on Thursday, September
24, 2020 at Wentworth
Heights, Hamilton in her 95th
year. Beloved wife of the late
Tom Fitzsimons (2001), and of
the late Alvin Ryder (1963).
Loving mother of Terry (Linda)
Ryder, Patricia (Darryl) Small,
Gary (Mary Anne) Ryder, Larry
(Donna) Ryder, Robert (Lori)
Ryder, Kevin (Kathy) Ryder, and
Chuck (Denise) Ryder. Predeceased
by her stepson
David (Violetta) Fitzsimons.
Loving grandmother of 18
grandchildren, and great-grand
-mother of 29 great-grandchildren.
After being widowed at age
37 (with seven children) Barb
worked at the West Haldimand
General Hospital when it first
opened in 1964. She started as
a ward clerk, then secretary to
the Director of Nursing, and
finally secretary to the Hospital
Administrator. We, her family
are extremely proud of her
great strength, courage, and
perseverance to carry on at
that difficult time.
In 1972 she married Tom and
moved to Burlington. There
she worked as an accountant
for her sons' business "Ryder
Concrete Forming", and also
went into Real Estate and got
her Brokers' license.
Mom especially loved dancing
and she was a great cook as
we can all attest to. She was
very artistic and did many
creative endeavors such as oil
painting, ceramics, cross stitch
and bunka.
Mom was a beautiful, kind
person, loving and caring to all
her friends and family. She also
had a great love for her place
on Lake Tomiko, and lived
there in later years.
We will miss her immensely.
Due to Covid19 a private family
service will take place. Special
thank you to the staff of The
Village of Wentworth Heights
for their special care.
Donations to a charity of your
choice would be appreciated
by the family.
"You are gone,
but thank you
for all these soft, sweet things
you have left behind
in my home,
in my head,
in my heart...
Nikita Gill
Barbara Bernice Ryder /Fitzsimons (nee Cousins) was born Aug 3 1926 in Hamilton, Ontario to Gladys and Christopher Cousins. A Sister to Doug and younger sister Shirley.
Barb grew up on Hamilton Mountain.
In 1942 mom met her first husband doing what she loved most,“dancing”. She met this country boy at a dance hall on the shores of Lake Erie close to the little town of Fisherville. Mom married Alvin Ryder when she was just 17 and they settled in a little farm house on 7th concession.
They would have 7 kids before she turned 35. Never sure if this was because they were good Catholics or just trying to keep up with our cousins the Bairds from Cayuga.
In any event the Bairds won - they had 10 I believe. I myself think it had a lot to do with their spooning on the couch watching Lawrence Welk lol.
Mom became a young widow at 37 and was left to look after the 7.
Thank God the oldest Terry and Patricia were well on their way to adulthood and helped immensely.
Terry followed in his Dad's footsteps as a Carpenter (as would all the boys) and Patricia entered the medical profession as a RN graduating in1967 from St Joes.
Mom returned to the working world after being a home maker for those years and soon found her niche at the newly built West Haldimand General Hospital as a secretary to the administrator. Her first task was typing up procedures for staff. Mom worked at the hospital for approximately 10 years.
She then met her second husband to be.This happened again doing her passion, “dancing“ at the Arthur Murray dance studio in Hamilton. She married Tom Fitzsimons in 1972 and lived in Burlington. After retirement they spent winters in Florida and summers at Lake Tomiko until Tom's death in 2001.
After Tom's death Mom lived in a number of Retirement homes & then Wentworth Heights Nursing home until her passing September 24 2020.
Mom was by far the most caring, nurturing mother anyone could ask for. She unconditionally loved all her kids and all the many grandkids. There was never a favourite, or a harsh word to anyone and she always had positive encouragement.
I would like to thank my sister Patricia for all she has done over the years to make mom's life more tolerable. Also Terry and Gary for their time spent with mom these past years