Charles Edgar Riley

Charles E. Riley entered into eternity with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Memorial Day, May 26, 2014. He was greeted at the gates of Heaven by the love of his live, his wife Faye, who predeceased him by two months. Charles, or Chuck as he was known, was born May 13, 1931 to William and Wilda Riley in West Milford, WV.
Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Virginia and Rachel Ann, and one granddaughter. He is survived by daughters Lisa Losey (Mike) of Fortuna, CA and Robin Von Hoetzendorff (Mark) of Danville, CA; his sister Jude Yaromey of Bluff City, TN; Five grandchildren and spouses, two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Chuck graduated high school (1949) from Pine Grove High School in Pine Grove, WV. There were 39 seniors in his graduating class. He was one of two students who went on to college to earn his Bachelor's Degree in Forestry. His education was interrupted by the Korean War. In 1951 he was living in Canton, OH where he met and married his true love, Faye. They were married for just four months, when Chuck enlisted in the Navy. During his tour of duty, he was stationed in Japan and the waters off the Korean Coast. After being honorably discharged in March, 1956, he resumed his college education at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Following graduation in 1960, Chuck went to work for the U.S. Department of Forestry in Hayfork, CA. Three years later the family, now including two daughters, moved to Orleans, CA where he had been transferred. In 1964 when the tragic flood struck Humboldt County, Chuck was very involved in rescue, clean up and restoration of the community. He transferred to the main Department of Forestry office in Eureka in 1971, where he worked for the remainder of his forestry career, retiring in 1989. Following retirement from the Forestry Service, Chuck went to work at St. Luke's Manor in Fortuna as a maintenance worker. He worked there until 1996 when he retired for good.
Chuck was very active in his community as a SCOPE volunteer, serving on the Board of Directors for St. Luke's Manor, the Eureka Chapter of Korean War Veteran's, the Fortuna Masonic Lodge and Fortuna Senior Services. He was very active with his wife, Faye in the Fortuna Methodist Church as well as Christ Lutheran Church in Fortuna.
An open house/social time to remember Chuck will be held June 1, 2014 at 12 noon at the Fortuna United Methodist Church, located at 10th and N Streets in Fortuna.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Fortuna United Methodist Church, Hospice of Humboldt or to the charity of your choice.
Thank you to Hospice of Humboldt for their expert care and loving assistance to Chuck in his last days, as well as to Goble's Fortuna Mortuary for their caring assistance to the family.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Charles Edgar Riley, please visit our floral store.