Robert S. Riley

Robert (Bob) was born October 8, 1942, in Hartford City, Indiana to Robert (Sr) and Lavon Riley. He spent his early years on his maternal grandfather’s farm while his father was away serving in the Army during World War II. He didn’t actually even meet his father until about the age of two when Bob Sr returned from the war. The family lived in Akron, Ohio for a couple of years before moving to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, first to Ishpeming and then to Ironwood. When he was a sophomore in high school, the family moved again to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he finished school at Shorewood High School. He was a national merit scholar, and also had a perfect score in math on his SATs. Bob went on to get his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from UW-Madison, followed by his MS degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

Bob joined ROTC while in college and then went into the Army and was stationed at Fort Wingate Army Depot in Gallup, New Mexico, where he met his future wife, Elizabeth (Betty). After their wedding in 1967, Bob was deployed to Vietnam and worked there as a Civil Engineer before returning to civilian life.

Bob worked at Procter and Gamble in Ohio, followed by Scott Paper Company in Philadelphia. The family settled in Wilmington, Delaware, where Bob and Betty welcomed their son Robert in 1972. During the time in Wilmington, the family expanded with daughter Mary Elizabeth (Marybeth) in 1977.

After many years as a mechanical engineer, he felt called to change careers to Social Work. He got his MSW from Temple University in Philadelphia, and the family moved to Sterling, Illinois in 1984, where he worked as a social worker.

In 2001, Bob and Betty moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he continued his career as a social worker, eventually retiring from the NM Children, Youth, and Families Department.

Religion was an important part of his life, from his childhood Catholicism, through his later years in which he was active in the Unitarian and Methodist churches. He was a very active member of the Democratic party in both Illinois and New Mexico. He was a strong proponent of social justice and criminal justice reform, actively engaged in community organizations. Bob also took an interest in revamping our economic system; he performed extensive research, formed a committee of fellow activists, and in 2010 started a blog where he posted his ideas and recommendations toward that end. He was also enthusiastically engaged in a community chess group, which played frequently at Albuquerque's iconic Frontier Restaurant. In 2021, Bob and Betty moved to Chandler, Arizona, to be close to their children and grandchildren.

For most of his life, Bob relished having deep and profound conversations about many aspects of life. One friend of the family has mentioned that her many conversations with him brought out his spiritual awareness and that she considered him a seeker. One of his daughter’s friends in Sterling recalled having an “oddly existential conversation” with Bob about lawn mowing. She went on to say that he always made her think with every conversation she had with him and that she considered that a true gift.

Bob was predeceased by his parents, Robert and Lavon, and his younger brother Terence. He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Elizabeth (Betty); his children Robert Riley (Annette) and Marybeth Riley-Gilbert (Ross); his 4 grandsons, Jack Gilbert, Garik Riley, Cameron Riley, and Luke Gilbert (all from the Phoenix area); and his sister, Maureen Riley (Albuquerque). He is also survived by his sister-in-law Suzanne Gaines (Albuquerque), as well as his cousins and friends who loved Bob and will miss him.

A graveside memorial with military honors celebrating Robert’s life will be held at 11:00 am Arizona Time (10 am Pacific, 12 pm Central, 1 pm Eastern) on Thursday, November 10, 2022, at Valley of the Sun Cemetery, 10940 E Chandler Heights Rd, Chandler, AZ 85248. Pastor Tom Martinez of Desert Palm UCC will officiate.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.LakeshoreMort.com for the Riley family.