William E. Riley

William E. "Bill" Riley, age 93, of Columbus, Ohio, passed away Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at the Claremont Retirement Village. He was born July 10, 1926 in Bluefield, WV to the late Walter Lee Riley and Victoria (Williams) Riley. In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Wilma (Thomas) Riley, son Michael Riley, and five siblings. He is survived by his son Ron (Joyce) Riley; Granddaughter, Megan Riley; and sister, Dora Lee Kingrey. As a young child, Bill had lost both of his parents by the age of 13. He joined the U. S. Navy at the age of 17 and honorably served on LST 959 in the South Pacific during WWII. He settled in Dayton after his discharge where he met his wife, Wilma. They moved to West Carrollton, where he began his life-long career as a mail carrier and retired with over 30 years of service. Bill earned a pilot's license in 1970 and enjoyed flying his Cessna for many years. He was a lover of all animals and spent much of his retirement caring for and loving his many cats. Bill was a loving husband and father. A private memorial service was held on Friday, July 3, 2020 at Evergreen Cemetery, West Carrollton, Ohio. To share a memory of Bill or leave a special message for his family, please click the 'Share Memories' button above.