Mark F. Rieder's Obituary
Mark Francis Rieder died on May 20, 2025 at his home in Stafford Springs, CT, with his wife and sister at his side. He was the son of Dr. Francis Edward Rieder and Dorothy Eleanor LaChappelle, born March 8, 1951. He grew up in Vernon, graduated from Rockville High School and enlisted in the Air Force for three years, stationed in Okinawa and Homestead AFB. He was a Staff Sergeant and responsible for loading and arming bombs during the Vietnam War. He was proud of his service and made life-long friends which he visited over the years in different parts of the country.
After the service, Mark attended New Britain Technical College and became a master boiler and air-condition specialist, working on the largest building installations in CT, including the capital building in Hartford. He worked for several large companies in the Harford area, traveled all over the state and was often called in to oversee problem repairs other people had been unable to resolve. He was respected and admired by everyone who worked with him and for him, for his professionalism, expertise and ability to handle clients and management with the finesse required to keep almost everyone happy!
Mark had many interests, traveled extensively abroad and in this country, enjoying trips to our National Parks, historical sites, and just out for a joy-ride in one or the other of two corvettes he owned over the years. He read extensively, primarily about WWII, which he held a complete fascination with, as his father and several of his uncles were all veterans of different branches of the service. He was always thrilled at any chance; he had to talk to someone from “The Greatest Generation” who fought in that war.
He totally enjoyed the music of “our generation” and always had a CD disk in the Bose player on the counter with something snappy, ABBA, the Beach Boys, Whitney Houston, and Reba McIntyre…..which brings me to the dogs….all nine of them – beautiful Golden Retriever, he raised and loved, from puppies to dogs with good long lives! They were so many different shades of gold, russet, strawberry blonde, you could hardly imagine and he gave them such unusual names: Goldie, Talos, Sirius, Luna, Reba, Danica, Strega, and Zara.
Mark was a real “Renaissance Man”, he could do just about anything when he put his mind to it! One of his long-term, (think decades now), was rebuilding bulldozers and at last count there were three of four carcasses along the driveway and one in the barn, taken down to the frame, with the treads soaking in oil! With the help of his long-time friend John Hancock, who was a mentor and advisor, and adjunct overseer, the two were planning on putting it back together and getting it running! He even bought a huge metal lathe to mill new parts; now that is something you don’t hear of often anymore! Mark installed the radiant heating in his home and God help whoever has to figure out what and how to fix anything that goes wrong. They will need a blueprint to follow and Mark Fox to do the work!
Mark with the help of younger brother Bruce, and friend Paul, built the lovely home Mark and eventually his wife, Kim have lived in for the past +/- twenty years. He spent many hours traveling around New England to see different contemporary home designer “model homes” and eventually settled on one that had a 30’ cathedral ceiling with massive glass windows that looked like the prow of a boat. He was always very proud of the modified design, brother Bruce created and executed, in spite of the trauma created over getting the enormous windows to sit at the appropriate angles the day they were delivered!
To say Mark will be missed is an understatement. He had a dry sense of humor, was quite quick witted and funny and a loyal and true friend to all who earned his respect and trust. He always did what he said he would do, the best work he could do, was exceptionally honest and fair with all his accounts, helped the family out with innumerable furnace, plumbing, flooding problems. You name it, he always showed up with the right equipment and knew exactly what to do to take care of everything~ He never understood or fully appreciated what a blessing he was to so many.
Mark and Kim, and her son Hunter did quite a bit of traveling together over the years. Kim did the planning and Mark did the driving! Kim was a loving and devoted partner and an anchor for Mark at home. Besides Kim and Hunter, Mark leaves sisters, Marianne McDaniel and Maureen (Ray Standish), nieces Callie Jo Rieder, cousins, Mellisa and Alexis Wood, and many others on both sides of the family.
He will be missed by many and thought of often with questions we wish we could get answers to and we will miss his presence at family and friend events he would have enjoyed, and we would have loved to see him! We miss you Mark and we Love You. With Love and Blessings, Your Family.
A calling hour will be held on Thursday, August 14, 2025 from 10:00 – 11:00 A.M., with a memorial service to take place at 11:00 A.M., at Introvigne Funeral Home, Inc., 51 East Main St., Stafford Springs, CT. Burial with Military Honors will follow in Stafford Street Cemetery, Stafford Springs, CT. To leave a condolence online for the family, please visit: www.introvignefuneralhome.com
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