Obituary of Sherman Spencer Riley

Sherman Riley was born April 09, 1951 in the USAF Hospital at Scott AFB, Illinois. He resided in Illinois and Indiana during part of his childhood. His parents divorced when Sherman was 9-years-old and was placed in the home of his grandparents, Spencer and Nora Riley, in LaFarge, WI.

Sherman attended LaFarge School, where he graduated from in 1969. In his sophomore year, he starting dating Margaret Evans (now his wife and were high school sweethearts), but each went their separate ways after graduating, but kept in touch with a Christmas card or an occasional phone call.

On February 10, 1970, Sherman put aside his life and joined the US Navy. He was stationed in San Diego, Treasure Island, Jacksonville, and Bahrain. He left the Navy in 1976.

Sherman was skilled in taking electronics and other items apart, finding the problem, and put it all back together again. He worked during high school as a bus boy in Milwaukee for a summer, sold produce at a roadside stand, did trapping along the local creek on his grandparent’s farm, an ammunition factory, IRS, at a police station fixing radios, owned his own tax service, and finalized into working for the US Postal Service as an electronic technician. He also did repair on RV’s. He retired on 1-1-11 of 37 years.

During his years, he attended colleges in LaCrosse and Madison WI, went to college at Miami-Dade graduating with an associate degree, and continued on with his education at Florida State University to receive an accounting degree. He went to a multitude of training sessions in Norman, OK and other locations for the US Postal Service. Also, he graduated from RV repair school.

Sherman was married to two other ladies, both ending in divorces. But that high school sweetheart, Margaret Evans, came back into his life. On November 11, 2007, they eloped to get married in Gatlinburg, TN. Their marriage now ends with 16 years giving Margaret the time of her life.

Sherman and Margaret did a lot of traveling in an RV. They belonged to an RV club for many years and loved being gone once a month to enjoy outdoor fun with many friends. They settled in Sun City Center, where his wife will reside.

He has a step-mother, Lois Riley, living in Milwaukee WI; both his mother (Matilda Deganhardt) and father (Oren Riley), are deceased; one son, Spencer Riley of Tallahassee, FL; one sister, Sharon Riley of Houston, TX; two stepsons: Wade Hanson of Kokomo, IN and Jay Hanson, of Tallahassee, FL; one stepdaughter-in-law, Dr. Jendy Hanson of Kokomo, IN, two sisters-in-law, Marvel Albitz of Frankfort, IN and Karen Hunt of Houston, TX, one brother-in-law Don Albitz of Frankfort, IN, four grandchildren, Jaxon, Zander, Cruz, and Jolie, all residing in Kokomo, IN; and nieces and nephews.

After health issues were diagnosed in 2016, Sherman made a slow decline with the last three months of his life being homebound. On September 10, 2023, Sherman passed away. He is now at peace.

A memorial service will be held in Sun City Center, Florida on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 from 4:30 to 6:30pm in the Armstrong Room at the Sun City Center Community Center.

Sherman’s ashes will be laid to rest at the National Cemetery in Tallahassee, Florida, with a military service on November 13, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.