Elizabeth Riley

July 31, 1925 — August 26, 2021

ELIZABETH (DAILEY) RILEY
1925 - 2021

On Thursday morning, August 26th, 2021, our wonderful mother said good-bye and went home to heaven. She died shortly after her 96th birthday, which was celebrated with family and friends in mid-July. Our mom, or Betty (as she was known), was the wife of Edma (Brud) Riley, who passed on July 17, 2009. She was the proud matriarch of a family that is currently 86 members strong. She has 10 children, 7 sons-in-law, 24 grandchildren, 18 spouses of grandchildren, and 27 great grandchildren.
Born on July 31, 1925, Betty was the second of four children of William Edward Dailey and Mildred (Parker) Dailey. She had an older brother, William Dailey, Jr; a younger sister, Patricia (Dailey) Cooke; and a younger brother Donald Dailey.
Mom attended the North Bennington School for grades one through twelve. Following high school, Mom attended Colby College (now Colby Sawyer) in New Hampshire, where she earned an Associate Degree in Secretarial Science. Following graduation, she was recruited by the U.S. War Department to serve as a secretary for the Naval Department during World War II. Included in her duties was the recording of supply vessels that serviced the war ships. Through that assignment, she was able to keep track of the ship that her brother Bill, Jr. was on and could send home simple messages that said, "Jr. is safe."
As the war was winding down, Betty returned home and decided to look up her old girlfriend, Claire. One night when they went out on the town, Claire asked if she could bring her brother along, as he was just home from the war. That was the last evening that Claire and Betty went out together, as after one night in each other's company, Betty and Brud were smitten with each other and the rest is history. They were married 63 years before Dad died.
Mom and Dad raised their ten children in a small house on the outskirts of North Bennington, in the Dailey enclave. Grandparents lived across the street and two sets of cousins lived in houses adjacent to ours. We had the swimming pool, so the kids tended to gather poolside and Mom never complained. Family was everything to her and she made that clear to us. Mom told us that we are a family and our sisters and brother always come first, even over friends. She fostered a strong sibling bond that remains intact today.
Our growing up years were wonderful. Mom was a great cook and fed us well. She sewed clothes for us for special occasions like Easter and Christmas and school productions. Our Halloween parties were a well-known annual event in town. We would fill the garage with costumed kids who played games like bobbing for apples and pin the tail on the donkey, and we ate the beautifully frosted cookies that she had been making and stock-piling for weeks.
As the first of us approached our high school graduation, Mom and Dad started up the All-Night Senior Party as a means of keeping graduating seniors off the roads and fully entertained on graduation night. They continued this until the last of us graduated.
Mom taught us the value of money, hard work and giving back. She told us that we should always leave any place that we are in better than when we found it. She encouraged each one of us to follow our interests and listened to us as if we were the only person in the world. She gave us great example of giving back by serving on School Boards and the Church Board, teaching CCD, substituting in the schools, and serving as Girl Scout Leader, to name a few.
Mom demonstrated her value for a higher education by going back to college and earning her Bachelor's Degree in 1977. Nine years later, at age 61, Mom earned her Master's Degree and was valedictorian of her class. She was the first member of our family to earn an advanced degree.
As stated before, Mom had many interests. Among them were:
Dancing ballet, tap and toe tapping throughout her childhood years
Becoming a pilot in her late teens and flew single engine planes
Dancing in the local minstrel and variety shows
Writing the script and choreography for those shows
Becoming Ms Senior Vermont and going on to national competition
Serving as judge and providing dance entertainment for the National Senior America Program and later the Cameo Club
Winning the top trophy for a national dance contest at age 72
Becoming a silversmith and making silver jewelry for her kids
Knitting for us and our babies and recently donating over 200 kitten blankets for the Second Chance Animal Center.
Co-founding B&B Builders and designing the interiors for the homes they built
Founding local chapter of the Red Hatters, later to become the Mad Hatters (now missing their dear leader)
Traveling to many states in our country, several countries in Europe and the Caribbean
Frequently visiting her children's homes and vacation spots
Mom was a petite woman and very much a lady. But anyone who thought she was a pushover was sorely mistaken. She was a tiny person with enormous determination and true grit, and a heart as big as her body. Mom was loving and patient and very generous. She loved life and she loved us and made sure we knew it. Mom faced life's challenges with courage and resolve, never flinching. She never quit on any of us or anything. And she had a smile that could light up the room.
Betty Dailey Riley was a true North Benningtonian. She had deep roots in the village on both the Dailey and Parker sides. Knowing that we only pass this way once, she made full use of that one pass. Betty made a difference in so many people's lives and in doing so, she made North Bennington a better place to live. Thank you, Mom/Betty, for sharing the gifts of your time, energy and talents with us. You will be greatly missed by your family, your friends, your neighbors and members of your church community, who were the beneficiaries of your time and financial support.
Mom is survived by her nine daughters and one son. They are Lynda and her husband, Dr. Gordon Thomas, and their three children and their spouses, and two grandchildren; Barbara and her husband, Jim Ripa and their four children and their spouses, and nine grandchildren; Betty Jean and her husband, Howard Borsa and their three children and their spouses, and five grandchildren; Dail and her daughter and son-in-law; Pat and her three children, their spouses and six grandchildren; Kathy and her husband, Jon Kenyon, their five children and their spouses and four grandchildren; son Ed and his fiancé, Consuelo Mendoza; Millie and her husband Mark Butler, their two children and their spouses and a grandchild on the way; Diane and her husband Doug Clark; and Karen and her husband, Dave McElwain and their three children and a spouse, and one grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the St. John the Baptist Church Food Pantry.
The family will receive those who wish to celebrate Betty's life on Tuesday, August 31st from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at Mahar & Son Funeral Home at 628 Main Street in Bennington, VT. A mass will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, September 1st at St. John the Baptist Church in North Bennington. The family requests that you wear a mask to the celebration of life and the mass.
A reception in the church hall will be held immediately following the mass. All are welcome.
Guestbook condolences may be made at www.maharandsonfuneralhome.net

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Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

4:00 - 6:00 pm (Eastern time)

E. P. Mahar and Son Funeral Home

628 Main Street, Bennington, VT 05201

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Funeral Mass

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Starts at 11:00 am (Eastern time)

Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church

, Bennington, VT