I am writing to inform the membership of the passing of one of our longtime club members, Max Riedener.  Max has been tending bees in West Islip for over 60 years.  His passion for keeping bees began after taking a class about beekeeping back in the early 60’s.  His apiary began with 1 hive in his backyard and he was called “The Beeman” by his neighbors and the children in the neighborhood.  He and his wife Irene bottled and sold their honey from their front stoop, to the residents of West Islip for over a half a century.

Max received his EAS Master Beekeeper certification in 1978.  His passion and knowledge of keeping bees made him a much sought after beekeeper during swarm season here on LI.  He collected swarms from all over LI and drove them back to WI to unite them with his existing backyard colonies.  His uniting of swarms with his backyard bees created super colonies that produced record honey amounts that were not to be duplicated by other beekeepers in the club.

His love and passion for keeping bees was passed on to many new beekeepers through talks around the hives in his yard.  I am one of those beekeepers… My journey with bees began because Max walked into my West Islip 4th grade classroom and talked to my students about the honeybee life cycle and members of the hive. It was because of that talk and encouragement from Max that my husband Dave and I began our journey as keepers of bees.

His enthusiasm and love for the hive were contagious but his focus was always on the legacy of beekeeping here on Long Island.  He hoped that this hobby, his love, would be enjoyed by many here on Long Island and that the number of beekeepers would increase.   He wanted beekeeping and the LIBC to grow and encourage all types of beekeepers from the Montauk to NYC… His wish for that has come true with a club membership of over 350 keepers.

Our club has a tradition of donating hives through Heifer International Organization when one of our members dies. It is the club’s hope that the memory and love of that keeper will be passed on to someone else in the world. 

All cards of condolence may be sent to his wife Irene at the family address of…

Mrs. Irene Riedener
19 Highland Ave.
West Islip, NY 11795

To the family of Max Riedener,  we the members of the Long Island Beekeepers Club send our prayers and condolences during this difficult time.

Moira Alexander