Bea Seymour was born June 16, 1936, in Altus, Arkansas, the daughter of Henry C. and Rose (Evelde) Rinke. She grew up in Eudora, Kansas, in a family of 8 children: 4 girls (Rosemary, Beatrice, Emmeline, and Bernice) and 4 boys (Eugene, Richard, Buddy, and Clarence). Bea and her siblings told entertaining and funny stories of growing up in the 1940s & 50’s in a small rural town in a small house of 10 people. Bea and her sisters loved fancy clothes, beautiful hairstyles, and shiny nail polish. In the early 1950s, she met and married William “Bill” Riley. He was from southern Kansas and also from a family of 8 children; thus, the stories of the 40s, 50s, and 60s were told and retold in epic fashion. Bea and Bill had 4 children (Denise, Marsha, and identical twins Mark and Mike). In the 1960s, they relocated to Laramie, Wyoming, and had many Kansas guests throughout their time in Wyoming. The young family enjoyed outdoor activities and fishing in the mountains. Bea and Bill were in a square dance club that traveled to Estes Park, Colorado each year. The small mountain town offered horseback riding for the kids. This is where the kids’ love for animals and horseback riding was born.
In the late 1960s, Bea moved to Denver, Colorado, near her sister Rosemary, and took a job in the banking industry. She met Fredrick “Dick” Seymour while working the teller line. She enjoyed telling the story of the many times he visited her teller window before asking her on a date. Dick and his two children, Fred “Dike” and Nina, were avid downhill skiers. Because of this, Bea was introduced to a sport she had never tried. They were able to visit many Colorado ski resorts as a family. Bea and Dick were married in Denver and purchased a beautiful home in Aurora. Bea continued her career in banking and even branched out into real estate sales. She enjoyed interior design and keeping the family home modern and meticulously clean. Thanksgiving was a very favorite time for the entire family. Everyone would gather for a giant meal, card games, board games like Wahoo, and raucous on-your-feet games like “Guess My Letter” and “The Bear.” The grown children loved visiting in Aurora and marveled that not a speck of dust was ever found anywhere in Bea’s home… a feat that none of the children could ever replicate in their own homes.
After Dick’s retirement from architectural modeling, Bea and Dick moved to a mountain property near Florissant, Colorado. Bea took a job as a cashier at a Cripple Creek casino. It was impressive that she drove 30 miles on winding dirt roads (rain, sleet, snow) five days a week from their Florissant mountain home to Cripple Creek. In the early 2000s, they decided to do snowbirding in Arizona and purchased a mobile home in a nice Country Club Estate park in Wickenburg, Arizona. They both enjoyed the club activities and meeting other snowbirds from all over the country. The mild winter weather gave Bea the opportunity to walk two miles each day with club friends and also attend Silver Sneakers on a regular basis.
Bea retired from Cripple Creek cashier work at the age of 79. Bea and Dick sold their mountain property in Florissant and became full-time snowbirds in Wickenburg in 2014. This meant they had to downsize from a very large, beautiful shop. It was a lot of work to move a mountain. It was accomplished with much laughter, tears, memories, and help from children and grandchildren. Once Bea and Dick were settled in Wickenburg, the kids and grandkids enjoyed visiting during the long Wyoming and Colorado winters. Bea and Dick truly loved life in Arizona and took full advantage of all it had to offer. They were always together and took good care of each other. Bea continued living in the mobile home park and continued her daily walks and exercise after Dick passed away in 2019. In 2022, she relocated to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to be closer to her children. In her final years, she was diagnosed with dementia. Despite this, she remained a kind, thoughtful person. She kept a cheerful attitude and a kind heart toward all she met and all who helped care for her.
Bea passed away in Murfreesboro at the age of 90. She is survived by her children: Denise (David) Barrett – Tennessee; Marsha Riley – Wyoming; Fred “Dike” (Jeannine) Seymour – Minnesota; Nina (Duane) Lavin – Colorado; and Mike Riley – Germany. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Ed (Jody) Schott – Tennessee; Jody (Sara) Schott – Utah; Bree (Brian) Mitchell – Wyoming; Shelta (Mark) Rambur – Wyoming; Zach (Erica) Seymour – Colorado; Josh (Alli) Seymour – Colorado; Nick (Becky) Lavin – Colorado; Colin Riley – Germany; and Lilli Riley – Germany. Great-grandchildren: Joe Schott, Robert Schott, Kelsey Schott, Cooper Schott, Kennedy Schott, Riley Mitchell, Aidyn Mitchell, Alexa Rambur, Emmie Rambur, and Nolan Lavin. As well as being survived by two great-great-grandchildren, Wrenly Schott and Everly Schott. Bea is also survived by two sisters in Kansas, Emmeline Dahlem and Bernice Simpson, and many cherished nieces and nephews in Kansas.
Bea is preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Rose Rinke, her husband Fred “Dick” Seymour, her son Mark Riley, her ex-husband Bill Riley, and five of her seven siblings.
Beatrice Josephine Seymour (Grandma Bea) will be greatly missed by her family. She will be fondly remembered as a mom who loved having fun with her family and friends. She had an incredible smile that lit up the room. She will be famously remembered for her favorite saying, “Keep a smile on your face and a song in your heart.”
Visitation will take place on Monday, September 14, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Woodfin Chapel – Smyrna. A Celebration of Bea’s life will begin at 3:00 pm at the chapel.
An online guestbook is available for the family at www.woodfinchapel.com.
