Virginia “Gin” Harris Riley, 80, died peacefully at home on Thursday, July 21, 2016. She leaves her husband of 54 years, Dan Richard Riley; son, Tony Riley (Gina); daughter, Mary “Sissy” Riley Fowler (Craig); grandchildren, Elizabeth Riley, Sarah Katherine Riley Sullivan (Joshua), Emma Riley, Riley Fowler, Chapman Fowler, and Kari Anne Fowler; beloved nieces, Janet Alexander (Skip) and Karen Wheaton Towe (Rick); and sister-in-law, Nell Palmer Harris. She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie and Gertrude Harris, and one brother, William H. Harris.
Viginia was born on August 27, 1935, in Deering, Missouri. She spent much of her childhood in Hamilton, Alabama, and considered it to be her hometown. In 1959, she moved to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with her parents. In the years that followed, she met and married Richard Riley, and they made Muscle Shoals their home.
Gin was a faithful Christian for more than sixty-eight years and was known for her love for God, her family, and her flower garden.
Honorary pallbearers are Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gilliland, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Holmes, Mr. and Mrs. James Stidham, and Mr. Roger McNeece.
Visitation will be Saturday, July 23, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. with the funeral immediately following at Colbert Memorial Chapel in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Rev. Skip Alexander and Rev. Francis Proctor will officiate. The family will attend a private interment on Monday, July 25, at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
In lieu of flowers, those who so desire are encouraged to make a memorial donation to The Ramp, P.O. Box 1508, Hamilton, Alabama, 35570 (www.theramp.org).
Special thanks to her caregivers with Hospice of Tennessee Valley, Mary, Bridgette, Tamekia, Nancy, and Chaplain Garry Lovette, as well as her loving nieces, Becky Lovette and Denise Swindle.
