Obituary - Earl Wilson Riley

Mr. Earl Wilson Riley of Gainesville, VA, age 78, passed away from kidney failure on November 14, 2019. He was the loving son of Roxie and Harry Riley; loving husband of Kay Riley of Gainesville, VA; loving brother of Charles, Donald, Harry, James, and MaryAnn. Devoted father of David (Karen) Riley of Warrenton, VA, and Danny (Ann) Riley of Leonardtown, MD; step-father of Rip (Audrey) Gerber of San Francisco, CA; Bill Gerber of Bristow, VA; Donna (Lynn) Barber of Kill Devil Hills, NC; Cheryl (Mark) O’Donnell of Fairfax, VA; grandfather of Kristin, Tyler, Josh, Robby, Austin, Ryan, Max, Natalie, Jack, Jared, Kevin, and Madison; and great-grandfather of Gavin, Elise, Astrid, and Gideon.

Mr. Riley retired from the airline industry after thirty-eight years working for Trans World Airlines (TWA) where his call sign was “EWTW.” He loved his job as a load-control agent and began his career at Dulles International Airport the day it opened on November 17, 1962. Mr. Riley was recognized by TWA with thirty-five years of perfect attendance and many other awards for excellence. He flew to many parts of the world on a first-class ticket because of his perfect attendance status.

During the early years of Mr. Riley’s life he and his first wife raised their two sons. He was always proud of his West Virginia heritage and his accent. In 1994 he married Kay and they began their lives together bonding their families. In retirement, his days were filled with learning to play golf, detailing cars, and camaraderie with his neighbors and friends. Mr. Riley decided he wanted to go back to work in 2008. He was the first part-time employee hired by Wegmans Food Markets in Gainesville, VA. He loved his job as a “bread salesman” and made many friends in this capacity; employees and customers alike. The Riley’s traveled to many parts of the world, including Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, and South Korea. McLean Bible Church became a comfort to Mr. Riley in his later years as he fought cancer and kidney problems. His grandchildren were the joy of his life and his neighbors and friends became an intricate part of his days.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 28, 2019, at McLean Bible Church in Manassas, VA. The service will include Military Honors, as Mr. Riley is a United States Army Veteran. The service will be followed by a reception at the church. In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.