A longtime local businessman and philanthropist has died.
John Riedman, who developed Riedman Insurance into one of the larger insurance companies in the country, died last Saturday at the age of 90.
Riedman Insurance was sold to Florida-based Brown & Brown in 2001.
His obituary in the Democrat and Chronicle notes that Riedman donated millions of dollars to a number of community organizations including The Rochester Museum and Science Center and Rochester Regional Health.
One of the events he became closely associated with was the annual Opening Day Trout Derby at Powder Mills Park. The fish hatchery there was closed in 2002 due to county budget cuts and then re-opened in 2003 when the Riedman Foundation entered into a partnership with Monroe County.
One of his children, David Riedman, says his father always felt it was important to give back to your community.
“He always lived by the mantra that you should share your success and share with those less fortunate than you and he also was very committed to his community and wanted to invest back into our quality of life and the things here that made quality of life possible," Riedman told WXXI News.
And David Riedman said that fishing, and seeing young people enjoy it with their family was a particular passion of his.
“Nothing made him happier than seeing a small child with a big string of fish and if the opening day trout derby happened to be on a school day and he saw a kid skipping school to fish, that really touched his heart," Riedman said.
A funeral mass for John Riedman will be held Friday, May 24, 11 a.m. at St. John of Rochester, 8 Wickford Way, Fairport.
