Carol Riley
Carol Marjean Riley, 93, of Grand Rapids, passed away peacefully on August 12, 2025 at Faith Hospice – Trillium Woods. Born on December 23, 1931, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, to Franklin Meade McWethy and Velma Lucile Richards, Carol lived a life marked by devotion to her family, Christian faith, and community.
Carol was one of six children, with three brothers and two sisters. She married Stanley Day Riley on August 20, 1950, in Berryville, Arkansas, and together they raised four children: Rev. Richard Meade (Jan) Riley, Gwenyth Louise (Steven) Mickus, Susan Diane (Jim) Russell, and Michael Clayton (Cristy) Riley.
Carol was predeceased by her husband, Stanley, in August 1981; her sister Gwenyth Marie McWethy, in a tornado, in 1942; her sister Evadne Faye Hollister; her brothers William and Marvin, and her daughter Gwenyth Mickus earlier this year.
She is survived by her children Richard, Susan, and Michael, her brother David Meade McWethy, and eight grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and extended family members.
Throughout her life, Carol lived in various places, including Berryville, Ark., Chippewa Falls, Wis., Hart, and Byron Center, before settling in Grand Rapids.
Her adventurous spirit and commitment to service of others led her to participate in mission work, including trips to Bangladesh, Brazil, Columbia, Russia, Mexico, and China. When she aged, she limited her mission trips to the lower 48 States, helping the Lakota Indians in South Dakota and the community in Lake Wales, Florida.
Carol was also deeply involved in her community, notably at Rockford United Methodist Church, where she enjoyed making pasties with friends, and at Camp Barakel, where she cooked with enthusiasm in “BIG pots” in 1998.
Carol’s warmth, generosity, and dedication to her faith touched countless lives. Whether climbing the “ladder of success” in Lake Wales Community Care Center or tending to her garden at Crown Pointe in Byron Center, she approached life with resilience and joy. Her legacy lives on through her family and the many lives she impacted through her kindness and service.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. in the Mears Cemetery near Hart. In lieu of flowers, the family requests generous donations be made to First Baptist Church in Hart, Michigan via: (a) https://gofbchart.churchcenter.com/giving, or (b) send the donation to First Baptist Church, 3258 N 72nd Avenue, Hart, MI 49420. FBC stepped forward to help and assist Carol with open arms after the plane crash of her husband in August 1981.
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