Henry Edward Riley Jr.

January 1, 1958 - March 29, 2017

Henry E. Riley Jr., residing in Asheville, NC, passed away on March 29th, 2017, at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, NC. He was 59 years old. He was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, but moved to Tampa, FL, in 1970. He attended Leto High School in Tampa, FL, and he was a graduate from University of Florida for his BA and University of Nebraska for his MA. He practiced as a Physician’s Assistant who specialized in Emergency Medicine for the majority of his professional career. He joined the Navy from 1976-80 as a Navy Corpsman. In 1990, he joined the NC National Guard, and he then served with US Army until his retirement in 2012. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving in Operation Jump Start and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received the Combat Medical Badge, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2), Global War on Terrorism Medal (2), and Humanitarian Service Medal. He is survived by his wife, Debra Riley, of 35 years and his two children, Christina Riley of Washington, DC, and Danny Riley of Asheville, NC. He was the son of Henry E. Riley and Mary Kay Riley. His brother, John Riley and wife, Sharon, live in Tampa, FL, with their three children, Bobby, Rebecca and Sam. He enjoyed kittens (and Bobe!), fishing, golfing, playing the saxophone and his beloved Florida Gators. In 2012, he cycled with an honored Veterans group, World Team Sports, across the US. His family will miss his bad dad jokes, awkward dance moves and big bear hugs. We love you. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fisher House Foundation, www.donate.fisherhouse.org or to World T.E.A.M. Sport, www.http://worldteamsports.org.