Polly Ann Riley

1926 - 2002

Polly Ann Riley, 75, a retired director of public relations for Pancho's Restaurant, died Wednesday, March 13, 2002, at home.

Funeral: 1:30 Saturday at Greenwood Chapel. Burial: Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 6 to 8 Friday at Greenwood Funeral Home. Honorary Pallbearers are all golfers everywhere, ladies and men, who have ever risen to the thrilling challenge of competitive golf.

Polly Ann Riley was born Aug. 27, 1926, in San Antonio. A natural born golfer, Polly played creditable golf the very first time she stepped on a golf course as an early teenager. She won her first golf tournament using her fathers ill-fitting clubs and no instruction. With some instruction and using the proper equipment she was destined to win scores and scores of tournaments around the world.

She always remained an amateur because if she turned professional she could only play in the very few professional tournaments of those early years. If she remained an amateur she could play in the very many amateur tournaments as well as a guest in the very few professional tournaments of the day. Playing as an amateur she won the very first sanctioned Ladies Professional Golf Tournament ever held, much to the chagrin of the Professional.

Because being an amateur was expensive, she worked throughout her career. From 1948 to 1972 in the public relations dept. of General Dynamics (now Lockheed), and then she served for 20 years as Public Relations Director for the Pancho's Restaurant chain.

Survivors: Brothers, William and wife, June, Jack C. Riley M.D., of Fort Worth; sister, Jane Riley Balovich and husband, George of Paradise, Calif.; nephews, David P. Balovich and wife, Linda of Lake Dallas, Michael Riley and wife, Barbara of Singapore, Philip Riley and wife, Laura of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; nieces Elizabeth Balovich O'Brien and husband, Richard of Sacramento, Calif., JoAnn Riley of Fort Worth, Amy Riley Schumaker and husband, David of Knoxville, Tenn., Sally Ann Riley of Dallas; grand nephews, Matthew O'Brien of Mt. Haven, Calif., Andrew O'Brien and wife, Amy of Mt. Haven, Calif., Joshua Riley of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Michael Balovich of Lake Dallas; grand nieces, Julie Balovich of Los Angeles, Calif., Jennifer Balovich of Austin; great grand nieces, Maya Rain O'Brien of Mt. Haven, Calif., Kira Marin Balovich of Mt. Haven, Calif., Kate Schumaker of Knoxville, Tenn.; cousins, Sarah Lawler and husband, Leslie of Arlington, Charlotte Briendal and husband, Jerome of St Mary's, Pa., Dan Walker and wife, Vada of Arlington and Lewis Walker and wife, Annette of Arlington.