MICHAEL KEITH RIDER

Michael Keith Rider, 47, passed away Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at Centura-Longmont United Hospital after losing a very short battle with a liver condition.

Mike was born Sunday, September 14, 1975 to John Markle Rider and Paula Anne (Carmin) Rider-Kreycik in Douglas, Wyoming and was raised on the family ranch near Orin along with his twin sisters, Nichole Rider and Jennifer (Rider) Page. Mike’s formative years were heavily influenced by his time spent helping his maternal grandfather, George Eastman Carmin, on the family ranch and by his paternal grandmother, Margaret Elizabeth (Betty) Rider Bass, with whom he shared a deep connection.  Mike was also influenced by his parents, John and Paula, learning the newspaper business, The Douglas Budget, which was in the Rider family from 1949 to 1985. It was through these influences that Mike developed an unmatched work ethic.  Growing up on the family ranch and submerged in the family newspaper business, Mike learned the significant importance that a job wasn’t “just a job,” it was a passionate livelihood rooted in an unwavering commitment to excellence.  This mentality was instilled into Mike from a very young age and was a mentality that Mike carried throughout his life which was evident in every endeavor he pursued.

Mike graduated from Douglas High School in 1993 and attended the University of Wyoming for one year before transferring to Casper College where he received a degree in Business Administration and Management along with a welding certificate in 1997. Mike worked briefly for PDM Bridge, fabricating large, free-standing water tanks for municipalities before he began his 23-year career with Power Equipment Company (PECO) in Denver, Colorado.  Mike very quickly moved up the ranks with his attention to detail and dedication to accuracy.  After starting as a welder, Mike moved to Shop Technician, a Field Service Technician followed by a promotion to Field Service Manager in 2006.  Mike became Operations Manager in 2013 and moved to Director of Internal Affairs in 2017 with responsibility for the Denver shop and Regional Service Manager.  He was instrumental in the opening of PECO’s Greeley branch and worked hard to ensure its success. Mike wasn’t a person of many words but when he did share something it was profoundly accurate.  His intellectual ability to remember part numbers (he was a genius) is something that will never be duplicated. His passion was his work. The skills and knowledge that Mike acquired and passed on to other technicians is ongoing as PECO became a part of his legacy.

Mike is survived by his twin sisters, Nichole Rider of Delray Beach, Florida and Jennifer (Rider) Page of Centennial, Wyoming;  stepfather, David J. Kreycik of Douglas, Wyoming; uncle, Greg (Kathy) Rider of Greenwich, Connecticut; aunts, Donna (Ed) Ricks of Douglas, Wyoming, Jacque (Craig) Goodrich of Douglas, Wyoming and Georgia Carmin of Laramie, Wyoming; nephew, Jackson W. Page of Elk Mountain, Wyoming; and cousins, Elizabeth Rider, Kass Sprague, Calley Plumb, Garrett Ricks, Bart Goodrich, Brianne Andreen, Robynn Palmer, Jay Palmer, and Brian Palmer. Mike also had an extensive network of friends and coworkers who became his ‘family’ throughout his life, all of whom he immensely cherished.

He was preceded in death by his father, John, on April 18, 1999, and his mother, Paula, on July 4, 2014. 

A family ceremony will be held at a later date.

The Gorman Funeral Homes – Converse Chapel of Douglas, Wyoming is in charge of the arrangements.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.gormanfh.com

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