Gerald Keith "Jerry" "Bud" De Ryder

Gerald Keith "Jerry" "Bud" DeRyder of Kalamazoo (Richland Township), MI









Gerald Keith DeRyder, a retired Assistant Director with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (formerly the U.S. General Accounting Office - GAO), entered Heaven on Tuesday, September 9, 2014. Gerald joined the GAO in 1957 and served with distinction in Southern California, Northern Virginia and Washington D.C.


Gerald was born on July 11, 1928 in Kalamazoo Township's "East Side" to Evelyn (Gibson) and Leonard DeRyder. He was raised on farms west of Richland and attended school in Richland, where he was active in sports and other activities. He graduated from Richland High School with the class of 1946.


Gerald proudly and honorably served with the U.S. Marine Corps from June 1946 until February 1948 and again from December 1950 until December 1951. He was one of the last Marines to leave China in 1947.


Gerald started working part-time at the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company when he was in high school and worked there intermittently until 1954. He graduated with honors from Western Michigan University in 1957 and immediately joined GAO.


Gerald married Mary Louise (Mary Lou) Kline on August 20, 1948 in Kalamazoo, and they were blessed with three children. He is survived by Mary Lou; daughters, Cheryl F. (Arthur) Rodriguez of Greenbackville, VA and Joanne K. (Frank) Deeney of New Tripoli, PA; a brother, Owen (Sandy) DeRyder of Kalamazoo; a sister, Nancy (Kleim) Miller of Winchester, VA; his grandchildren, Arthur (Sarah Sand) Rodriguez and David (Sarah) Rodriguez, Michael and Patrick Deeney, Laura (Andrew) Wismer and four great-grandchildren; several special nephews and nieces; many friends throughout the country and classmates from the Richland Class of 1946.


Gerald was preceded in death by his parents; his son, David Ellison DeRyder and his brothers, Stanley and David DeRyder.


The Funeral Service to celebrate Gerald's life will be held on Monday, September 15th at 11:00 a.m. at the Farley-Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home, Richland Chapel, 9170 East D Avenue (M-89) Richland, MI 49083 with Rev. Jan David DeWitt, Pastor of New Hope Church of Richland, officiating. Interment will follow at Prairie Home Cemetery, Richland with the United States Marine Corps Honor Guard bestowing military honors. The DeRyder family will receive friends on Sunday, September 14th from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the funeral home. The family would appreciate memorial contributions in Gerald's memory to Thru the Bible Radio, P.O. Box 7100, Pasadena, CA 91109-7100.