Mass of the Resurrection was offered for James F. Riley, 67, of Jefferson Monday, June 5, at St Joseph Catholic Church in Jefferson.
The Rev Jeff Schleisman, pastor of the church, was celebrant. Lector was Sue Wind and Kate Hardigan presented the offertory gifts. Music was provided by the St Joseph guitar group, soloist Dustin Hall accompanied by Wes Anderson, and brass music by Wayne Lautner, Peg Semke, Mark Rasmussen and Wes Anderson. Honorary bearers were Braxton Holderby and Terence Bingley, and members of Floyd Brown American Legion Post 11, VFW Post 9599, and Jefferson Elks Lodge 2306.
Casket bearers were Jim Andrew, Don Ihnken, Les Fister, Bill Berger, Tom Chulski and Dick Chulski. Interment was at St Joseph Catholic Cemetery with military honors by the Iowa Army National Guard honor guard.
The family was assisted by Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home.
James Francis Riley was born July 8, 1949, in Morristown, NJ, the son of Thomas Riley and Elsa Smith. He was raised lovingly by Thomas’s wife Helen, and it was Helen he called “Mom.”
He grew up in Morristown and Newark, NJ. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1968. He made the Army his life and his career, with much of his service in the Finance Corps. He was instrumental in developing the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.
He was honorably discharged from the Army in Indianapolis at the rank of sergeant major in 1995. He soon went back to DFAS as a civilian employee. He retired from DFAS as a senior systems analyst in October, 2015, and was honored for his more than 45 years of service to the federal government.
Jim married Maria-Ilona Rothfuss in 1972 in Germany while he was stationed there. They were the parents of two children, James and Carlin. He married Joanne Johnson in 1982. They were the parents of three children, Jennifer Kelly, Jaime and Jonathan.
He married Tori (Chulski) Chargo in 2006 in Jefferson and was happy to take the role of “other parental unit,” or OPU, for Dallas, John, Catherine, Daniel (Dude), Victoria (Snowy) and Andrea.
It was upon his retirement in 2015 that Jim was able to move to Jefferson, a place he had come to love and referred to as his “little Mayberry.” He joined American Legion Post 11, VFW Post 9599, and Elks Lodge 2306. He was to become post commander of the American Legion in June and was lecturing knight in the Elks lodge. He was grateful for the many people who welcomed him as part of the community.
Jim coached youth sports when his children were in school, and since moving to Jefferson, he coached young basketball players at the Greene County Community Center. Their enthusiasm and his relationship with them gave him much satisfaction and happiness. Jim was already looking forward to the 2017-18 Ram basketball season.
Jim loved golfing, and it was on his way to a much-anticipated golf outing with DFAS buddies in Kentucky that he died on June 1, 2017.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Thomas, Robert and Richard Riley, and his stepson Dude.
He is survived by his wife Tori Riley of Jefferson; children James (Francesca) Riley of London, England and Carlin Riley of Germany, Kelly (Dustin) Hall, Jaime Riley and Jonathan Riley of Indiana, and stepchildren Dallas (Allison) Chargo of Scranton, John (Danielle) Chargo of Lisbon, Catherine (Shane) Lucas of Des Moines, Victoria “Snowy” Chargo of Audubon and Andrea Chargo of Ankeny; and grandchildren Charleigh Stout and Adam, Leah and Henry Hall, all of Indiana. Also sisters Barbara (Dennis) Rostock of Florida, DeAnn Hindman of California, and James McCabe of New York; brothers-in-law Tom (Becky) Chulski of Wisconsin and Dick (Ginger) Chulski of Michigan; sisters-in-law Christine (Douglas) Ross of Ohio and Kate Hardigan of Michigan; his dog Sadie; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
