Barbara Agnes Riley

Barbara Agnes (Hersey) Riley, 87, of Foley, AL, died September 30, 2020 at home. She was preceded in death by her husband, Mark C. Riley. Barbara grew up in Lynn, MA, the daughter of Mary (Connors) Hersey and Delbert Vose Hersey. Lynn is just north of Boston, and Barbara talked of seeing horse-drawn carts on the streets of the city as a girl. The ice man would deliver blocks of ice to home ice boxes. She met the love of her life, Mark while in high school. She graduated from the Lynn Hospital School of Nursing in 1954, becoming a Registered Nurse. She married Mark in December of 1956. The couple had three children, Donna Riley-Lein, Debbie Riley Frederickson (Fred) and Mark C. Riley (Kristy). She was grandmother to Jessica Frederickson, Erica Lein, Eric (Lindsey) Frederickson, Megan (Jeremiah) Sharp, Morgan (Butch) Latusa, Jackson Lein, Kathleen Riley, Grace Riley and four great-grandchildren. Barbara worked as a nurse as family travels and responsibility permitted. She ended her career as an Assistant Director of Nursing at the former F. Edward Hebert Hospital in New Orleans. Mark’s Navy career took the couple from Lynn to California, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Trinidad in the West Indes, Illinois, Nebraska, and Louisiana. The couple came to the Foley area, lured by the warm weather, beaches and the good company they found here. Barbara was active in the St. Bartholomew Ladies’ Society, running the bereavement meal program for many years. Barbara will be remembered at a memorial service at Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Home, 2551 S McKenzie St., Foley, AL at 11 a.m. Monday, October 5. Placement in the columbarium at Barrancas National Cemetery will be later. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made in her name to local animal shelters, St. Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church Ladies’ Society or to the Kiwanis.