Obituary: Riley, Elizabeth Mae
Age 96
RILEY,
Elizabeth Mae
“Betty”
(Age 96)
Betty Riley, age 96, passed away peacefully at her home on Friday, February 3, 2012, in Greenacres, WA.
She was born near Denver, CO on December 20, 1915 to John and Elizabeth Bauer.
After moving to Spokane at an early age (4) she attended school in Otis Orchards and on the lower South Hill.
She was married to Wayne Reasoner, Sr. and had a daughter Mary, and a son, Wayne.
She also gained stepdaughters Maxine, Arlene and Carol.
In 1953 she married Al Riley and they had a son Jim.
She gained stepdaughters Sharon and Susan.
Most of her life she spent serving others at a young age cooking and doing laundry for farm workers out in Spokane Valley orchards.
She was a waitress at several downtown diners including the Mayflower and Skylark restaurants, Town & Country Restaurant in Spokane Valley, Sunshine Gardens Nursing Home and last worked for Central Valley School District.
She was a hard worker and retired only a few years ago at age 92.
Betty enjoyed many close long lasting friendships and fun family memories.
Betty loved her family and her cat Nellie.
She also enjoyed shopping, lunches with girlfriends, swimming at Liberty Lake as a child, cooking for family gatherings and vacations.
She was well known to be a successful garage-saler and could cook a dinner like no other.
Betty is survived by her sons Jim (Trina) Riley, Greenacres; Wayne Reasoner, Spokane Valley; and daughter Mary Azzara, Las Vegas; stepdaughters Sharon, Susan (Dale) and Carol; and nephew Bill (Linda) Banks.
Grandchildren Perry (Cheryl) Azzara, Katie (Ken) Broderius, Kim Morin and Shelly Riley; great-granddaughters Meghan and Cloe; and great-grandsons Nick, Reid, Cole and Barrett.
She has a loving extended family with many adoring nieces and nephews.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband Richard “Al” Riley, brother William Banks, stepdaughters Arlene George and Maxine Anderson and daughter-in-law Cathy Reasoner.
A Memorial will be held at the Thornhill Valley Chapel at 2 pm on Saturday, February 18, 2012 and she will be laid to rest with Al Riley at Pines Cemetery.
Please visit Betty’s memorial online at www.thornhillvalley.com.