Odell Riley

ODELL RILEY WAS BORN ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1954, TO WEST WILLIAMS AND WILLMENA RILEY, IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (BOTH PROCEEDED HIM IN DEATH).

ON FRIDAY, MAY 19TH, ODELL, SURROUNDED BY FAMILY. TOOK THE LORD’S HAND, BIDING US FAREWELL UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. FAMILY TIME WAS HIS SPECIALTY, JUST MAKING MEMORIES! MEMORIES OF WHICH WE WILL DWELL ON UNTIL THE END OF TIME! ODELL WAS AN OUTDOORSMAN; NO, NOT HUNTING OR FISHING, IT WAS BIKE RIDING, AND WALKING IN THE PARK THOSE NATURE THINGS. HIS, ABOVE ALL, FAVORITE WAS WALKING WITH SAINT AND BELLA, OF WHOM ADORED ODELL AS MUCH AS HE DID THEM.

ODELL ATTENDED MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL, IN ST. LOUIS, MO. HIS CAREER SPANNED 32 YEARS, DURING WHICH TIME HE WORKED FOR WATLOW ELECTRIC (ST. LOUIS, MO), HEB (SAN ANTONIO, TX), HOME DEPOT (SAN ANTONIO, TX), AND VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT (SAN ANTONIO, TX).

ODELL WAS A PHENOMENAL HUMAN BEING! WHEREVER HE WENT HE MADE A NEW FRIEND! HE LOVED CHILDREN, AND THEY LOVED HIM. HE WAS A FANTASTIC COACH! IT DIDN’T MATTER THE SPORT, HE GAVE IT HIS ALL; COACHING BOYS AND GIRLS ALIKE! HE NEVER ALLOWED CHILDREN TO GIVE UP ON THEMSELVES OR THEIR DREAMS … EVER!

ODELL NEVER MET A STRANGER. HE TREATED EVERYONE WITH RESPECT. HIS GRATITUDE WAS SHARED IN A WAY THERE WAS NO DOUBT HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR WHATEVER WAS DONE FOR, OR SAID TO HIM. IF WE HAD A PENANCE OF THE INTEGRITY, EMPATHY, SYMPATHY, REMORSE, OR LOVE THAT ODELL POSSESSED, OUR LEGACIES WOULD LIVE ON AND ON, AS HIS LEGACY WILL! WHAT WOULD WE GIVE FOR ONE MORE PLAYFUL POKE IN THE RIBS, OR NECK, EVEN THOSE GENTLE NUDGES. ODELL WAS INDEED ONE-OF-KIND!

ODELL LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS! THANKSGIVINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME! WE WILL VISUALIZE ODELL GOING BACK FOR SECONDS OR EVEN THIRD HELPINGS OF SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD. HE TOOK HIS SWEET TIME EATING, LOOKING AS THOUGH HE WAS FULL, WHEN REALLY, HE WAS JUST GETTING STARTED! ODELL CHERISHED FAMILY TIME TOGETHER! OUR FAMILY NIGHTS, WITH HIM PRESENT, WERE ALWAYS A SUCCESS!

HE WAS AN AVID TENNIS PLAYER! IT DIDN’T MATTER THE WEATHER, HOT OR COLD; WHO CARED IF IT WAS TWO OR THREE DIGIT WEATHER, NOT ODELL! HE PLAYED WITH THREE FRIENDS, ALEX BARBOSA, GLENN GURSSLIN, AND BERNARD BEALE, SR. IT SEEMS THAT NO MATTER, THESE FOUR MEN WERE GOING TO PLAY!

THESE FOUR MEN WERE TRUE FRIENDS; FRIENDS TO THE END! THE REMAINING THREE WILL GO ON WITH LIFE WITHOUT ODELL, BUT THE LOVING FRIENDSHIP THEY SHARED WILL REMAIN IN THEIR HEARTS FOREVER!

THOSE LEFT BEHIND TO CHERISH HIS MEMORY ARE: HIS CHILDREN: ANGELA RILEY, SHARON RILEY, JORDAN RILEY, MORGAN RILEY, AND BONUS CHILD, PEYTON GALE. HIS GRANDCHILDREN: SKYY MATTHEWS, JUSTIN HAMILTON, JAYLAN RILEY, BRANDON HAMILTON, SETH RILEY SEAN HAMILTON, ETHAN RILEY, LANDON TURNER, ASHTON RILEY, MADDEN TURNER, MEADOW TURNER, LEIA TACKETT, PETE TACKETT, AND SAINT DIXON.HIS SIBLINGS: JOHNNIE M. CLAYTON (ST. LOUIS, MO), MARIE ANDREWS (SAN ANTONIO, TX), ALEASE DILLARD (SAN ANTONIO, TX), EDDIE M. JOHNSON (RANTOUL, IL), AND SHARON A. WATKINS (SAN ANTONIO, TX).

HIS NIECES AND NEPHEWS: FELICIA AND KARL PENN, DANIELLA AND BARRY ANDREWS, JR., DARRYL CLAYTON, CHERISH CLAYTON, TAJUANA AND MAREO DONES, YOLANDA DILLARD, NICOLE AND LARRY SPIVEY, ANDRE JOHNSON, JR. AND DEBORAH KENNELL. A HOST OF GREAT-NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND GREAT-GREAT NIECES AND NEPHEWS. HIS AUNT AND UNCLE: ELIZA AND WILL C. MCCOY. THERE IS A HOST OF COUSINS. THERE IS A HOST OF CLOSE FRIENDS, FROM NEAR AND FAR; TOO MANY TO COUNT OR NAME WITHOUT FEAR OF MISSING SOMEONE.