Thomas Benoist Riley, 85, of Howard County passed away on November 12, 2021 surrounded by his wife and children.

Tom was born and raised in Richmond Heights, son of the late A. Benoist and Alvera Hummel Riley. He proudly served in the US Navy as a Seabee in Okinawa, Japan. On April 4, 1959, Tom married Maxine Durbin. They raised their four children in Maryland Heights and during that time he worked as a lineman for Union Electric for 32 years. After retirement, he built a home in Howard County in 1997.

Tom’s favorite activities included fishing, spending time outdoors, and taking care of his yard. He could fix and repair almost anything and he always knew the weather forecast. Tom loved his family more than anything and was especially proud of his grandchildren. 

Tom is survived by his wife of 62 years, Maxine; his four children Lynn (Gregory) Bennett of Carlsbad, CA; Michael (Kathy) Riley of Wentzville, MO; Karen (Bradford) Reed of Howard County, MO; and Sharon (Kenneth) Breece of Rosebud, MO; his two sisters Sue (Jerry) Burke of Florissant, MO and Judy (Robert) Seickhaus of St. Louis, MO. Tom’s legacy also lives on through his six grandchildren, Ryan (Sandrine) Bennett, Alicia (Tony) Malik, Brandon Reed (Brittany Elliott), Erica (Beau) Decker, Claire Bennett, Hunter Breece, and his four great-granddaughters Riley, Victoria, Grace, and Adelaide. 

Services honoring Tom’s life will be held at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, November 16 at Carr-Yager Funeral Home in Fayette.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Burial with military honors will follow at New Hope Cemetery near Bunker Hill, MO.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of donor’s choice in Tom’s memory.

Condolences may be shared at www.carryager.com.