Virginia Mickler Riley

Virginia Mickler Riley August 23, 1923 - June 19, 2015 Virginia "Sweetsie" Mickler Riley beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt, slipped away peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones, on June 19, 2015. Sweetsie was born August 23, 1923 to Raymond and Maude Mickler in Jacksonville, FL. She attended local schools, graduating in 1941 from Ketterlinus High School, St. Augustine. She was employed as an operator for Southern Bell in downtown Jacksonville and then went on to become a civilian operator at Camp Blanding in 1942, always remembering this time at Camp Blanding as "one of the best times" of her life, attending the dances and jitter bugging with all the young men going overseas to fight during WWII. She met the love of her life, William "Bill" Riley, in California while visiting her brother and married Bill on August 14, 1949. Bill was in the United States Air Force and they traveled to many different places during his career. Bill retired from the Air Force in 1961 and they moved back to Jacksonville, FL, eventually settling in Elkton in 1966. She was employed by Barnett Bank, St. Augustine, in the early 1970's retiring in the 1980's. Sweetsie was a happy, wonderful, loving human being, quick with a joke, never knowing a stranger, willing to give a hand and her heart to everyone she met. Many a friend of her four children considered her their "second" Mama. Sweetsie was predeceased by her husband and her parents, and is survived by her loving children, daughters Theresa Riley and Mary (Bill) Goode, sons William Riley and Charles (Kathy) Riley, grandchildren Will Riley, Taylor Goode, Cheyenne Goode, Jasmine (Geoff) Ford, Alyssa Riley and Danielle (John) Daniel, great-grandchildren Tori Sampson, Mason Ford, Nahlo Riley and Arianna Daniel, sisters Martha (George) Wise, Louise Johnson and Frances (John) Howard, sister-in-law Latrell Mickler, brother Paul (Jeanne) Mickler, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral arrangements are through St. Johns Family Funeral Home. A funeral mass will be held Saturday, June 27, 2015, at 11:00AM, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Elkton. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Northeast Florida Community Hospice, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257. St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.