With family by her side, Betty Jean (“BJ”) Rieders passed away at her home in Rushland, Pa.
Born in Sharon Hill, Pa., the second child of Hannah and Elbridge Stockwell, BJ was beloved by her family and many friends for her kind, free and fun-loving spirit, her beautiful singing voice, and ability to find beauty and joy anywhere and everywhere. Betty Jean graduated magna cum laude from Gettysburg College, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
After returning to the Philadelphia area, she married Fredric Rieders and bore four children she lovingly raised in Philly’s Mount Airy neighborhood. At the same time, BJ began a professional singing career that would move her audiences around the U.S. as well at a number of international venues, with a repertoire ranging from folk music to show tunes, from sacred works to opera. Her early musical engagement in Philadelphia included Singing City, The Philadelphia Singers, and Philadelphia Pro Musica. She established the Bach Aria Trio, was a soloist in several regional Opera companies, and continued well into her ninth decade offering concerts near her home in Bucks County as well as in New York City. Among activities further afield, Betty Jean performed in Warsaw, Poland for recordings by Deutsche Grammaphon of two Handel operas, was a member of the Israeli Opera Company and performed in Canada at the inaugural performance of The Millennium Choir celebration of 1000 years of Christianity in the Ukraine.
Betty Jean is survived by three of her children, sons Eric (Maria) and Michael (Mim) Rieders, daughter Julia (John) Satriano, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Betty Jean was predeceased by her son Carl William, her husband Fredric and her brother Elby. While she will be sorely missed by all of us, we remember a life fully and well lived.
A memorial service was held at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Wyncote, Pa., on Monday, March 21. In lieu of flowers, her family requests BJ’s memory be honored with donations supporting community arts and music. To share your fondest memories of Betty Jean please visit www.lifecelebration.com
Life Celebration services provided by John F. Givnish of Buckingham.
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