Obituary of Clare Ryder Hecker

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Clare Ryder Hecker, wife of Lawrence M. Hecker, on the evening of July twenty-first. She was a long-time resident of Great Falls, Virginia. A private funeral service will be held in her memory with a memorial service to be held at a later date. Mrs. Hecker was the daughter of Colonel F.H.L. Ryder, a Colonel in the Cavalry Division of the United States Army, and Mary Maud Corsan, of Victoria, British Columbia. Colonel Ryder was Military Mayor of Paris post World War Two. Her maternal grandfather, D.W. Higgins, was Speaker of the House in Victoria. Born in the Philippines, as an Army brat she spent her youth living at many Army posts in the United States and abroad. Clare perhaps spent more time on horseback than on the ground for much of her early life. Her talent and devotion to horses enabled her to skillfully hunt sidesaddle, and was chosen in the early 1940's to be a member of the United States Olympic Equestrian Team. Unfortunately World War Two necessitated the cancellation of our participation that year. She was also asked to be Elizabeth Taylor's riding double for the film " National Velvet ." Survived by six children, fourteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Clare was strong, loving, considerate and delightfully outspoken, happiest when entertaining friends at memorable dinner parties. She will be greatly missed and would have wanted friends and family to remember her with joy, not sorrow. In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations be made to Lift Me Up Charities, P.O. Box 104, Great Falls, Virginia, or Brogue Charities, P.O. Box 295, also of Great Falls.