Ronald D. "Ron" Riley

Ronald D. "Ron" Riley, 48, of Erie, passed away at 4:05 p.m., Sunday, January 14, 2018 at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

He was born March 26, 1969 in Wichita, Kansas to Loren D. and Thelma E. (Cutshall) Riley. As an infant, he moved with his family to Parsons where he grew up and attended Washington Elementary School, Guthridge Elementary School, and graduated from Parsons High School in 1987. He later majored in journalism at Labette Community College. He briefly attended the University of Kansas.

While attending LCC, Ron was editor of  The Spectrum.  He later worked at  The Parsons News  for five years and was a delivery person at the Pizza Hut. He then moved to Ft. Smith, Arkansas where he continued to work in the newspaper business before returning to Parsons where he worked at  The Parsons Sun  for one year.

He enjoyed gaming, Facebook, listening to music, and visiting with friends.

Ron was a constant and wide-ranging reader, an excellent, if sporadic, writer and poet, and an engaging conversationalist. He had co-authored a book entitled  Stephen King Quiz.  He loved KU basketball and stuck by the beleaguered Kansas City Chiefs, no matter what. He liked whiskey neat and believed salsa verde improved just about any food (but despised pineapple on pizza and ketchup on anything). He loved his pug, Elliot. He was a fast friend and, though he might dispute this if he were here to argue, a profoundly decent human being. The world is a lesser place for his passing.

Survivors include:

His Father – Loren Riley of Erie

One Brother – Charles Dale Riley

One Uncle – Ronald Lockwood

Two Aunts – Kay Waltmire and her husband, Tom

Mary Rasmussen and her husband, Roy

Several cousins including Richard Cutshall, Raymond Rosenstiel, Lisa Schwenker, David Cutshall, Julia Groebner, Joe Waltmire, Tim Cutshall, and Diana Giffin.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Thelma Riley, on February 12, 1993.

Cremation has taken place under the direction of the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Memorial services will be held at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to help defray funeral expenses. Please visit  https://www.youcaring.com/ronrileymemorialfund  or checks made payable to the Ron Riley Memorial Fund may be mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.

Ron will be missed by his family and host of friends as they remember his words, "Poised on the misty edge of the choppy sea of forever … now, and always, our love will prevail."

Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.