Shirley May (Tooker) Riffley of Castleton, New York, died on February 29. She was 96.
Born in Quogue on July 5, 1919, she was the elder daughter of Leslie A. and Mildred (Randall) Tooker. She graduated from Westhampton Beach High School in 1937 and from New York State College for Teachers at Albany in 1941. Her first job teaching English and Latin was in Forestport, New York, where she met and married Robert L. Riffley. Together they had three children and eventually settled in East Greenbush.
A lifelong learner, Ms. Riffley went on to earn a master’s degree in library science from SUNY Albany in 1969. This led to the fulfillment of her dream to be a librarian, taking a position at Goff Middle School in East Greenbush until her retirement in 1980.
In the years that followed, Ms. Riffley returned to Quogue where she enjoyed a rewarding time devoted to a multitude of interests involving nature and the arts. She was a longtime member of the Center for Creative Retirement at Long Island University, where she continued her passion for education and delighted in the company of many wonderful friends.
Ms. Riffley is survived by her three children, David Riffley and wife Debra, Peter Riffley and wife Barbara, and Shawna Lambert; granddaughter, Carolyn Riffley Barie; great-grandchildren, Robert Bigness Jr., Benjamin Barie and Sarah Barie; and great-great-granddaughter, Anna Bigness. She is also survived by a sister, Joyce Reaver; a niece, Carolyn Patterson; and nephews, Frederick Reaver and George Reaver.
Services were Saturday March 5, at Rockefeller Funeral Home in Rensselaer, New York. Interment will be in Quogue Cemetery at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice.
on Mar 7, 2016