Olalla, Washington

Ronald G Riley, 89, passed away on September 17, 2024, at home in Olalla, WA with his wife, Harriet, and stepson, James Gough, by his side.

Ron was the first son born to his parents, Dorothy L. Moore and Claude Eugene Riley on April 11,1935 in San Diego, CA. His father was in the Navy so Ron attended many elementary and secondary schools during his adolescence: early on in Vallejo, Long Beach, and San Diego, then in Brooklyn, NY, Honolulu HI and Schenectady NY, then back to Long Beach. After high school graduation in 1953, Ron enrolled at Ohio State University where he hoped to compete on the swimming and diving teams.

After a year and a half, he had to withdraw due to illness. Returning to CA, he graduated from San Jose State College in 1958 with a General Secondary teaching credential.

He was hired to teach at Andrew Hill High School in San Jose soon after graduation. Ron coached the swimming and diving teams as well as water polo.

He taught age group swimming each summer and during the school year, Ron taught PE and Science for 33 years at Andrew Hill High School (ESUHSD). He retired in 1992.

Always a competitor, Ron loved to race – bicycles in college, motorcycles in Enduro races in the Sierras, Speedboats on CA lakes, riding to the hounds on his horse Smokey with the Los Altos Hunt Club, sailing on Monterey Bay on his Santana 20 with Russ Cline, and racing his kayak and his Olson 25 -#9Robin Kae, on the bay with his crew: his daughter Robin and her boyfriend Jim, and wife Harriet. At 65, Ron was introduced to mountain bikes. It became his new passion riding in Nicene Marks State Park and Wilder Ranch daily. He joined the Santa Cruz County Cycling Club. His first race was a cross-country race at the Sea Otter in Monterey. He continued racing his bikes at CCCX at Ft Ord and Team Big Bear races in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. Then he learned how to race cyclocross.

Accompanied by his staunch supporter, Harriet, Ron competed in cross-country and cyclocross races all over the US –from San Diego to Vermont, south to Texas and north to Wisconsin in all kinds of weather for the next 15 years. Ron proudly won a National Cross-Country Championship in his age group in 2013 on his Cannondale Lefty and a World Championship in Cyclocross in 2012 in Louisville KY on his Rock Lobster built by Paul Sadoff.

Ron and Harriet also found time to travel when Harriet retired from Andrew Hill in 1999. They visited Puerto Montt, Chile, Bariloche, Argentina. Over the years, Ron and Harriet also visited Hawaii, Mexico, Spain, Ireland, and Italy. Italy was their favorite and they returned many times, often visiting and traveling with their friends, Hugh and Alice Phinney of Acquasparta, Umbria, Italy.

Ron and Harriet sold their home in Aptos in June of 2024 and moved to a small cottage on the property of Harriet’s son, Jim Gough, to be close to family and her grandchildren.

Ron became ill in August,2024. Ron is preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and C. Eugene Riley, his stepmother, Kathryn Riley, his brother Donald Riley and his half-brother Arnold Bodenhamer.

He is survived by his first wife, Sherry Riley of San Jose, his second wife, Patricia L. Riley, and his widow, Harriet Gough Riley of Olalla, WA, his half-brother Jack Johnston (Linda) of Tucson, AZ, his sons Steven Riley (Tina) of Campbell CA, Douglas Riley (Cathy) of Benton, NH and his daughter Robin Redmond (Jim) of Hebo, OR, his stepson, James Gough (Leslie) of Olalla, WA, his grandchildren; Jane and Molly Redmond, Austin Riley(Crystal), Ian, Samantha, Ryan and Finn Gough and his 3 great grandsons: Kylo, Salem, and Memphis Riley.

There will be a private family gathering in Olalla to celebrate Ron’s 90th birthday when Ron’s ashes will be spread in the fruit orchard at his request. A celebration of life will be held in Santa Cruz at adate to be determined for other family, friends, biking comrades and neighbors.

Please log in to the memorial webpage at info@rill.com on the Tribute page for photos and for scheduled events, special messages, and to share your memories of Ron.