Thomas G. Ryder, 81, a resident of Country Meadows, Allentown, for the past year, and previously of Lower Macungie Township since 1976, died Nov. 15, 2013, in Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Born in the Bronx, N.Y., he was a son of Helen (Nicholls) and Thomas A. Ryder.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Engineering of the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

He retired from Air Products and Chemicals Inc. where he spent more than two decades of his career as a patent attorney.

He was a member of the Licensing Executives Society, U.S. and Canada Chapter.

While at Notre Dame, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

His active duty service was spent with the Army Security Agency, at Arlington Hall Station, Virginia.

A member of St. Thomas More Parish, he served for a time as an usher, an extraordinary minister of the eucharist, and, more recently, the first grand knight of a newly developed council of the Knights of Columbus.

He helped to found the St. Thomas More Youth Soccer Program.

Active with Boy Scouts of America, he first served as Cubmaster of Pack 131 and was a founding member of Troop 431. There, he was an Assistant Scoutmaster and a member of its Troop Committee.

He was committed to Scout training both by participating in courses himself and passing on what he had learned to other Scouters. He earned Woodbadge Beads in both the Cubbing and Scouting areas.

Later, he served as Trexler District Commissioner and assisted Minsi Trails Council with training programs, and planning special events.

He also provided leadership to local boys attending a national jamboree held at Camp A.P. Hill in Virginia.

For his dedication to Scouting, he was honored with the Silver Beaver Award.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia (Peters) Ryder, with whom he recently celebrated 50 years of marriage; children Thomas and his wife Kate, Christine and her husband Titus Brookins, James and his wife Tammy, Robert and his wife Stefanie, and Kathleen and her husband Nicholas Caserio, and 12 grandchildren.

Donations can be directed to the University of Notre Dame Class of 1954 Scholarship Fund. Donations can be made payable to the University of Notre Dame, and addressed to Notre Dame Development Office, 1100 Grace Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556.

Arrangements were made by Weber Funeral Home, Allentown.