George Burton Riley, Jr., 1916-1990

Retired United States Navy chaplain, Commander George Burton Riley, Jr., died on December 14, 1990. He had been a resident of Zellwood, Florida. A memorial service attended by family and friends was held at Mount Dora United Methodist Church.

Chaplain Riley was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on March 19, 1916, the 10th of 11 children born to George Burton Riley, Sr., and Emma Bynum Riley.

George graduated from North Webster High School, North Webster, Indiana, in 1934. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana Central College, Indianapolis, in 1941, and a Bachelor of Divinity from Garrett Biblical Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, in 1947.

George Burton Riley, Jr., was ordained a deacon by the Indiana conference of the Methodist Church in 1942. He transferred to the Virginia conference of the United Brethren Church in 1946 where he was ordained an elder.

The Rev. George B. Riley, Jr., was appointed to and served the Kirklin Methodist Church, Kirklin, Indiana, from 1942-1944. He was associate pastor of High Street Methodist Church, Muncie, Indiana, from 1944-1946. He transferred to the Virginia conference United Brethren Church and at their 1946 annual meeting, was commissioned to organize and establish a new congregation in Arlington, Virginia. On May 27, 1947, this new congregation was organized. Their new church, St. Marks Evangelical United Brethren Church (the former Brethren and Evangelical churches were merged on November 16, 1946) was completed in July 1948. The Rev. Riley pastored this new church until March 1951, when he enlisted in the United States Navy and was commissioned a chaplain lieutenant (j.g.) and commenced a 20-year career, rising to rank of commander. He was retired in 1975.

George B. Riley, Jr., was married to his college sweetheart, the late Sarah Montgomery Riley, in 1941. She was deceased in 1975. On May 2, 1976, George married Kathaline Ingmire Riley of Zellwood, Florida, his surviving widow. Other survivors include

one brother, Edward Riley of South Bend, Indiana; one sister, Beulah Neff of Hobart, Indiana; three stepdaughters, Sharon Brustad, Janet Beck and Suzanne Cox; two stepsons, Vern Doty and David Ingmire; 11 step grandchildren; and two step great-grandchildren.

-Kathaline Ingmire Riley