Leslie Wilkes Ryder, Jr. “Les” 

(December 18, 1952 – April 4, 2015) 

“The man for whom the law exists—the man of forms, the conservative, is a tame man.” – Henry David Thoreau 

Les was born in Lewiston, Maine, Dec. 18, 1952. He was the son of Leslie Ryder Sr. and Margarite Webster Ryder of Wales, Maine. 

Les moved to Morris, Conn., with his family in 1963, where he grew up attending Wamogo Regional High School, graduating with honors. He moved to Henniker, N.H., and graduated from New England College in 1976. 

Les worked for the state of New Hampshire for many years. He was a member of the New Hampshire Crime Commission, which created the New Hampshire Department of Corrections in 1980. He worked as a corrections official for many years. 

Les moved to Florida in 1989, where he continued to work in corrections as warden at several facilities. In 1999, he moved to the Northwest. He was most recently working at Cascades Job Corps in Sedro Wooley, Wash., before moving to his current position as deputy center director at Tongue Point Job Corps Center in Astoria, Ore. 

Les was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, skiing, and motorcycling. Les was a member of the Knights of Columbus, North Coast ABATE, and a board member of Wauna Federal Credit Union. 

Les is survived by two daughters, Tracie Ryder Person and Stella Ryder; a son, Leslie Ryder III (Gus); a niece, Allyson Ryder and nephew, Mark Ryder; a brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Brenda Ryder of Boscawen, N.H.; and his lifelong friend Fred Stiles of Morris, Conn. Les will be missed by all who knew him and loved him.