Bob Riley

Bob Riley, age 90, passed away in Olney on Monday, March 21, 2022. Funeral will be at Faith Center Assembly of God in Graham on Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 2:00 PM. Burial will follow at Newcastle Cemetery under the direction of Morrison Funeral Home.

Bob was born August 13, 1931 in Wagoner, Oklahoma to Ernest Joe and Beulah (Allen) Riley. He married Ernestine “Scooter” Moody in Newcastle on May 12, 1990. Bob worked in farming and oil and gas production. He came to Texas at 5 days old in a covered wagon. He picked 800 pounds of cotton in a day at only 12 years old. In 1950, he began working for Dowell. During those days he wrestled Gene Dozier and Buck Thetford on a weekly basis. He started Bob Riley Cementing and Acidizing in 1963. In 1972, he started Bob Riley Casing and Pulling during the pipe boom. He drilled wells and had his own production company from 1976 to 1995. He worked right up until January of 2022. He was famous for pulling people out of the mud in the 1980’s and working as hard as anybody in the county. He loved his family and friends as well as people he didn’t even know.

Bob is survived by his wife, Ernestine Riley of Newcastle; daughters, Patty Riley of Olney, and Brenda Kunkel and husband Donnie of Olney; son, Robert Riley and fiance Stephanie of Jean; sister, Bessie Epperson of Graham; grandchildren, Ava Garraway and husband Les, Joe Bob Baggett, Stacy Riley Littlepage and husband David, Melissa Ryan and husband Randy, Bobby Riley and wife Sarah, Rebeca Whiteley, Nick Kunkel and wife Stacie, and Riley Kunkel and wife Summer; along with 17 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Beulah Riley; daughter, Brigitte Gaston; siblings, Louise Reddell, Virginia Ainsworth, Vena Jones, Gladys Dunn, JW Riley, Ernest Riley, and Jimmy Ray Riley; great grandsons, Leighton Shifflett and Judah Kunkel; and daughter in law, Sandy Riley.

To honor Bob, memorials may be made in his name to St. Jude Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate or by calling (800) 478-5833.

Visitation will be at Morrison Funeral Home Chapel on Wednesday from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM.