Rochester, NY: Walter “Ross” Rider died peacefully at home on April 30, 2020, at the age of 82 after a long illness. He is survived by his wife Laura, his 5 children and their spouses, 5 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and local cousins Laurie Stollery Kiley and Jean Cannan. In his younger years, Ross was an avid runner and skier. He was a past president of the Rochester Track Club and very involved in marathon racing.
A life-long Rochesterian, he took early retirement from Kodak which gave him an opportunity to follow his dream of becoming a woodworker and wood sculptor. He was one of the original artists at Artisan Works and is best known for his “Larger than Life” collection: oversized replicas of everyday objects, such as a pencil sharpener, stapler, soda fountain and many more, all made completely to scale. He would consider his masterpieces to be full-size replicas of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a Model A Ford truck, which took years to complete. Ross was a very creative individual, a talented and prolific artist who was able to spend most of his life doing what he loved. He was always willing to stretch himself to learn new techniques to bring his creations to life. He was interested in people and their experiences and enjoyed talking with the many people who visited his studio. He was accepting of everyone and did not judge people.
His family will hold a celebration of his life later this summer. Please no flowers: Tax-deductible donations can be made to Artisan Works at 565 Blossom Road, Rochester, NY 14610.