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Stephen Riley Obituary
August 15, 1934 - July 16, 2017
Stephen Vincent Riley died Sunday July 16, 2017 in Auburn, CA. Steve was born on August 15, 1934 in Quincy, MA to Edward G. Riley and M. Florence Howe Riley. He was husband of the late Deborah Allen Riley of Quincy, MA. He leaves behind his son Allen Riley and partner Juli Anderson; daughter Stephenie Riley and husband Vincent Sosnkowski all residing in Lake Tahoe, CA. He also leaves behind his grandchildren Kazimir and Sophia Sosnkowski.
Stephen graduated from North Quincy High School in 1952, and from Boston College in 1956. He served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, GA. On July 13, 1963, Stephen married Deborah Marie Allen in Quincy, MA. They later moved to Bolton Valley, VT where they built and managed The Black Bear Lodge (1968-1978) where they welcomed family and hundreds of loved guests. They moved their family to Sarasota, FL in 1979. After Debbie's battle with cancer and subsequent death in 2006, Stephen relocated to Tahoe City, CA to be closer to his children and grandchildren.
Stephen's service will be held at Sacred Heart Parish in Quincy, MA on August 22, 2017 at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in Randolph, MA. Steve was very committed to his christian values and was very passionate about helping those in need. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation on Steve's behalf to your favorite charity or service organization.
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Memories and Condolences
for Stephen Riley
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2 Entries
Peter Albert
March 14, 2018
I had the good luck to meet Stephen twice: as a child in a large family new to Vermont and temporarily homeless (the sale of the house in Underhill was delayed, and our rented cabin in Bolton was termed out) - until Stephen and Debbie Riley took us in the Black Bear Lodge as "guests" and kept a roof over our head until the sale settled. We got to know and love this family, with their passion for skiing and their Boston accents. Years later, I'm a married father of two in the Bay Area, and found that Stephen was living not far away in Tahoe - where I ski. We had a coffee, and I marveled at his brave and honest sense of compassion and justice. Only a few years ago, I reunited my elderly parents with Stephen at a restaurant on Truckee - it felt like a wonderful full-circle, starting on one ski town and closing in another. I miss Stephen's impassioned voice, but feel very grateful for his friendship and hospitality. My condolences to his children.
Jeana Homola,nee Pleadwell
August 19, 2017
My sympathies to the family. Have thought of the Riley family over the years, Stephen taught me how to make good snowballs as a child, have many memories of playing across the street with Kathy & Ginger. Take care, Kathy
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