George Leon Riley, Sr.

Local Hall of Fame Coach

George Leon Riley, Sr., 78, of Washington, PA, passed away on Saturday, January 27, 2024.  He was born in Statesville, North Carolina on January 6, 1946, to the late Viola Ferguson Vaughn.  George grew up in Statesville with his aunt, Annabelle and his cousins, Betty, and Jimmy.  He graduated from Statesville High School, where he was a member of the basketball team.

After high school, George attended Elizabeth City State College in North Carolina, where he played basketball, and tried track.  Upon graduating in 1969 with a degree in Health and Physical Education, Mr. Riley came to South Hills High School as a track and assistant football coach.

While at South Hills in 1982, Coach Riley guided the South Hills Cross Country Team to a City Championship.  While assisting Head Basketball Coach Bruce Weston, Coach Riley demonstrated a great talent for motivating both the Junior Varsity and the Varsity teams.  He had the privilege to coach alongside Coach Weston in three City Championship games at the Civic Arena: two against Schenley High School and one against Fifth Avenue High School.

Coach Riley was a part of many victorious Section 2 games.  He coached and guided many boys and girls to the PIAA State Competition for cross country, as well as track and field.  In 1986, Coach became the track and the cross-country coach at Schenley High School.  At Schenley, Coach Riley led the girls' cross-country teams to three city championships and guided the boys' cross-country teams to win two city championships, the track team to six city championships and seven Pittsburgh City relay championships.

In 2009, Coach Riley received the Track Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tri-State Coaches Association.  In 2017, he was inducted into the Pittsburgh City League High School All Sports Hall of Fame.  In 2019, the Riley Sr. Thrivers youth track and field club was named in his honor.

George shared his talents and his gifts of kindness, gentleness, friendship, and patience.  George shared these gifts of love with his church family at St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Washington.  As an active member of St. Paul, he participated in the music ministry of the church. He directed the St. Paul's Male Chorus which was well-known in the tri-state area.  He shared his bass vocals with other local church groups and ensembles.  In 2019, George received the Unsung Hero Award from the Pittsburgh-West Virginia Conference Lay Organization.

George was the guy who would call you “Buddy” whether he knew you or not.  On most occasions, George was the guy people called out to when he walked into the local grocery store, the gas station or while sitting on the deck of his house.  (He was the guy with the toothpick.)  As his health began to fail, George was most often seen in the company of the love of his life, Barbara Jean Comedy Riley.

Love for George remains with his wife of forty-nine years, Barbara; their son, Gerald M. Comedy, Sr.; five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren; his in-law siblings, Edward D. Comedy (Maxine), Alan V. Comedy, Sr., Kathleen Comedy Mann; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, including Betty Jean Ross of Maryland, and many friends and former students.

George was preceded in death by his cousin, Jimmy Ferguson, and a niece, Azure Dee Comedy.

GL Riley, the Riley's younger son, preceded his father in death.  GL passed away on January 12, 2024.

Friends will be received on Friday, February 9, 2024, from 2 - 4 and 7 - 9 P.M. in the Warco-Falvo Funeral Home, Inc., Wilson at E. Katherine Ave., Washington, S. Timothy Warco, Owner/Supervisor, S. Timothy Warco II, Director, Holly Renay Warco, Director, Park N. Crosier, Director.  Additional visitation will held on Saturday, February 10, 2024, from 10:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. the hour of a funeral service in the St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 16 Ridge Ave Washington, PA.  The Rev. Lowell Wright will officiate and Bishop Arthur E. Doctor, Jr. will eulogize Mr. Riley.  Interment will follow in Forest Lawn Gardens, McMurray, PA.  Condolences may be expressed at www.WarcoFalvoFuneralHome.com