Theodore Ryder, Jr. (Ted), of Cortlandt Manor, NY and Atlantis, FL, and formerly of Bay Shore, NY, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2026. He was 83 years old. The cause of death was complications from a rare bacterial infection.
Ted was born on September 17, 1942 in Oceanside, NY, and grew up in Glen Head, NY. He graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a BA in Liberal Arts and a BS in Education, and earned masters degrees in Modern European History from Rutgers, International Studies from Long Island University, and Educational Administration from Hofstra, as well as a Diploma in Wine from London Wine and Spirits Trust.
While at Potsdam Ted met and later married his beloved wife and best friend of 59 years, Sandra Maus (Sandy). Ted is also survived by his cherished sons Douglas (Lauren) and Jeffrey (Dewi), adored grandchildren Avery, Brisco and Ellie, and brothers Roger, Craig and Gary.
Ted was a teacher at Massapequa High School on Long Island for 20 years, where he taught Social Studies, also serving as a union official and curriculum reformer. In 1976, Ted went into business to pursue his love of wine with Seaholm Wines and Liquors. Ted became a wine expert, teaching classes, writing articles, hosting wine dinners at some of Long Island’s finest restaurants, and leading charity activities in the Huntington, NY community. Newsday called Seaholm Wines and Liquors “one of Long Island’s finest wine and spirits shops.”
Ted loved to spend time with his children and grandchildren. When not with family he was passionate about his many interests and hobbies, pursuing excellence in everything he did. He and Sandy shared a love of travel, visiting much of the US, 89 countries and six continents. Ted’s greatest interest was music, and he assembled a huge collection of classical, jazz and world music CDs, with deep knowledge of most musical genres. He once said, “Music, which told more than words could say, was the air I breathed.” He also enjoyed golf, gardening, photography and book collecting. For Ted, a perfect day would be playing a round of golf in the morning, enjoying a glass of wine while listening to music and reading in the afternoon, and an evening out with Sandy at a great restaurant followed by live music.
After retiring in 2013, Ted and Sandy spent their winters in Florida and summers in New York. They were members of the Lost City Golf Club in Atlantis, where they spent countless days enjoying golf, bridge and dinners with friends. They enjoyed boating, sight seeing and cultural events in NYC and Palm Beach. Ted will be deeply missed and always remembered by his family and friends for his pursuit of excellence, sense of humor and passion for life.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Family Service League in Huntington, NY would honor Ted’s memory.
