Wesley Andrew Riley

May 31, 1931 - October 30, 2019

Wesley Andrew Riley passed away on October 30th, 2019 at age 88. He was born in Rome, Georgia on May 31, 1931 to the late Myrtle Hattie Agan Riley Tracey and the late Wesley Andrew Riley. He had one brother, the late William Riley. He was also preceded in death by one son, Wesley Stephen Riley and one grandson, David Alan Sandlin. He is survived by his wife, Louise Kerkhof Riley, and his four children by Jane Waggoner Riley: Phyllis Agan, Cartersville, GA, Martha Sandlin, Cave Spring, GA, Danny Riley, Rome, GA, and Linda Rowe, Kennesaw, GA; three surviving grandchildren, Bryan Agan, Savannah, GA, Angie Cronin, Cartersville, GA, and Olivia Rowe, Kennesaw, GA; six great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, due Oct 31st, 2019. Wesley graduated from McHenry High School in 1948, having skipped an earlier grade for academic excellence. At 18, he began bagging groceries for the Colonial Food Stores, and later rose to the position of store manager by 1967. He worked for the company for 30 years, during which time the company transitioned to Big Star Foods. Meanwhile, Wesley joined the Army Reserves during the Korean Conflict, but received a medical discharge. He was member of the 363 APU. Wesley was married to Betty Jane Waggoner, also of Rome, from 1948 to 1972. Following their divorce in 1972, Wesley managed a Big Star store in Sandy Springs. In 1974, he met and married Louise Kerkhof, of Rome, and moved back to Rome and retired from the grocery business. He had two stepsons; Steve Kerkhof of Huntsville, AL and Mike Kerkhof of Lake Mary, FL. Wesley was also a member of the Elks Lodge, and in his early 40's, took up the game of golf. His golf game was unusually good, as he made a "double eagle" not once, but twice in his lifetime, scoring a 2 on a par 5 both times. He also made his own golf clubs later on in life, and was happiest when on the golf course on a sunny morning. He was a doer and a goer. In his seventies, he was able to drive a big rig for Rome Electric Machinery, manoevering huge turbines through Atlanta traffic. Wesley was tough and resilient and lived that out in many ways. He survived several catastrophic illnesses in life. He was one of the first people to survive polyarteritis nodosa, which had a mortality rate of near 100%, through the miracle of the then-experimental drug called cortizone; a ruptured appendix; heart valve repair via daVinci robotics in his early 80s. He also survived a series of strokes and once was gored by a bull. He was a great storyteller at one time and could also play the mandolin. Once, he and cousin Rev. Lawrence Agan made a record of "You are My Sunshine", using vocals and the mandolin. He also loved country music, jazz saxophone, and a good steak, going to the beach and being outdoors. He will be missed by his family and friends. Rest in peace. Graveside and interment services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Friday November 1, 2019 at Oaknoll Memorial Gardens, with Clinton Green officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:00 P.M. until 2:00 P.M. at Good Shepherd Funeral Home, 2750 Shorter Ave. Rome, Ga. 30165. Parnick Jennings, Sr.’s Good Shepherd Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.