Sally Goodspeed Riley

Sally Ann Goodspeed Riley of Wheeling, WV – beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, educator, and community volunteer, passed away peacefully on August 4, 2025, at Liza's Place, following complications from spinocerebellar ataxia, a rare neurodegenerative disease. She was 67 years old.
Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, Sally was the third child of Ann Jerome Goodspeed and Edward Givens Goodspeed. She was preceded in death by her father – mother and brother, Edward Givens Goodspeed, Jr., both of whom also had spinocerebellar ataxia – her childhood dog Nellie and cat Thomas, and many other beloved cats.
From an early age, Sally demonstrated a pioneering spirit and a deep commitment to education and service. She attended Cardigan Mountain School in Canaan, New Hampshire, where she was one of only three girls to have ever enrolled in the all-boys pre- preparatory school. She later graduated from Greens Farm Academy in Westport, Connecticut.
Sally earned her undergraduate degree cum laude in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University, where she studied under David Elkind and trained at the Eliot-Pearson Children's School. She spent formative time teaching in collaboration with Crewe and Alsager College of Higher Education in the United Kingdom. Her passion for inclusive education led her to pursue a Master of Arts in Special Education from West Virginia University.
In 1990, her dedication to early childhood development was recognized when then- Governor Gaston Caperton appointed her to the West Virginia Early Intervention Interagency Coordinating Council, where she helped shape policies to support young children and families across the state.
Sally married Arch Wilson Riley, Jr. in 1980, and together they raised two daughters: Ann Jerome Riley and Sarah Paull Riley Scheinert. Sarah died earlier this year. Sally is survived by her husband Arch, her daughter Ann, Ann's partner John Anthony Corbin, and her cherished grandsons, Holden Riley Corbin and Lucas Paull Corbin – of Alexandria, VA, her brother Jerome McLean Goodspeed and his wife Silvia Maria Goodspeed - of Cascais, Portugal, and her son-in-law Mark Thomas Scheinert – of Pittsburgh, PA.
Throughout her career, Sally touched countless lives as a teacher at King's Daughters Child Care Center and later as a maternal infant health outreach worker for Northern Head Start, where she worked until her retirement.
Her commitment to community extended far beyond the classroom. Sally generously volunteered her time and talents to numerous organizations, including Crisis Hotline, Ohio Valley Medical Center Auxiliary, Altenheim Retirement Community, the Spina Bifida Association of Western Pennsylvania, Big Brothers / Big Sisters, Woodsdale School PTA/School Improvement Council, the Human Rights Committee of Easterseals, the Board of Directors of YWCA-Wheeling, Client Interviewer for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), the Democratic Women's Club, the Junior League of Wheeling, the Mansion Museum Committee of Oglebay Institute, and the Wheeling Symphony Society.
Sally personally witnessed the avant-garde scene of the 1970s in New York City at Studio 54. Her cherished mementos include her 6- and 7-dollar ticket stubs from 1976 and 1977 Bruce Springsteen concerts, and a personal handwritten note she received from T. Berry Brazelton, an icon of the child development world. She loved attending the Symphony and Towngate Theatre with her dear friends.
Sally will be remembered for her warmth, wisdom, and unwavering dedication to children, families, and the arts. Her legacy lives on in the lives she nurtured, the causes she championed, and the family she loved so deeply.
A private memorial service will be held by the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Ataxia Foundation https://www.ataxia.org/donate in honor of Sally's extraordinary life. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Sally Goodspeed Riley, please visit our Tree Store.