James Riffle

James H. Riffle NEWPORT NEWS - James Howard Riffle, 65, died Nov. 29, 2008. He was a native of Liberty, N.C., and had been a Peninsula resident for more than 36 years. James retired as a supervisor in the Ventilation Department with the Norfolk Naval Shipyard after more than 20 years of service. He also owned and operated with his father-in-law, Aberdeen Auto Service, for more than 15 years. He was an Air Force veteran serving during the Vietnam War. Left to cherish his memory are his two daughters, Amy R. Dryden and Celine N. Warner, both of Newport News; two sisters, Edna Posey of Chesapeake and Mary Gillette of Elkton; one brother, Charles Riffle of Virginia Beach; one sister-in-law, Melanie Henry of Newport News; his mother-in-law, Laquita Gibbs of Creswell, N.C.; three granddaughters, Chelsea and Brittany Riffle and Jenna Dryden; and many other family members. He was preceded in death by his wife of 29 years, Phyllis Gibbs Riffle. A funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday in W.J. Smith & Son Funeral Home Chapel with Charles R. Tucker officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the funeral, beginning at noon. Burial will follow in Parklawn Memorial Park. Memorial donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 870 Greenbrier Circle, Greenbrier Tower II, Chesapeake, VA 23320.