Doretta Mary Riley's Obituary
Doretta Mary McNally Riley was born in Sauk Centre Minnesota on August 8 th 1925 to Elizabeth and
Ralph McNally. She died peacefully at her home of 55 years on October 29 th 2022. Doretta was the
loving mother of Maureen, Sean, Brian and Sheila and her husband Miles. She was the doting grandma
of Jacqueline, Laura and Grant. Doretta was the oldest of four children, her brothers Ralph, Johnny, and
sister Mary preceded her in death.
She said her earliest memory was of swinging back and forth on the front porch listening to the strains
of “Keep Your Sunny Side Up” coming from the radio inside.
Doretta attended St. Mark’s, St. Joseph’s Academy and the College of St. Catherine. Her first job was
with the Beck School of Radio and later the Twin Cities Television Lab.
Doretta met her husband Bill at a party in January of 1949 and they were engaged a month later and
married in October honeymooning in Chicago. Daughter Maureen came along in 1951 and Sean in 1953.
Bill was working for Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance and was transferred to the San Francisco office in
1954-California here we come! Doretta said that she gave her fur lined boots to her mother in law at
the airport because she knew she would have no use for them in sunny California. Bill and Doretta lived
in an apartment in Oakland for about six weeks while their home was being built in Fiesta Gardens in
San Mateo. After moving in, Doretta gave a Tupperware party and invited everyone on the block not
knowing that those who came ended up being life- long friends. Doretta was also President of the
Newcomers Club in San Mateo. From there she formed a potluck and bridge group. In 1956 Bill and
Doretta auditioned for the St. Gregory’s Theatre Guild expanding their social network. The Theatre
Guild was a big part of their lives for nearly 30 years. St. Gregory’s Church was a special place for Doretta. She was active in the Women’s Club, Liturgy Committee, church choir, and also taught
Catechism after school. In the early 80’s, St. Gregory’s made some structural changes to the church and
Doretta ended up with her very own church pew which went into the seating area of her kitchen.
Doretta broke the barrier a bit at church and became the first female lector and female Eucharistic
minister. Brian came along in 1957 and Sheila in 1962. It was in 1968 that the Riley’s bought a house on
Alameda de las Pulgas. It was a bigger house and Doretta decided to get a part time job so she could
make some money to buy more furniture. She worked in the customer service department at Sears for
15 years but always referred to it as the “complaint” department. Her husband Bill was diagnosed with
cancer in October of 1984 and died six weeks later. On a cruise with Maureen, Sean and Brian, Doretta
met Ray Johnson. Ray was from a small village in England. He loved music and dancing-a perfect
match. Ray and Doretta married a year later and split their time between Hurworth and San Mateo.
During their marriage they played host to many family members and friends. They also traveled quite a
bit visiting Yugoslavia, Italy, France, Austria and Germany and many other places along the way. Mom
expanded her family with Ray’s son Paul and wife Liz along with their daughter Clare and husband
Steven and their children Max and Eleanor. Ray passed away in 2011. Doretta remained active at St.
Gregory’s attending daily mass and joining her dear friend Patt and other friends for coffee afterwards.
Doretta had a great sense of humor, was a fantastic storyteller and an incredible hostess although more
comfortable with a skilsaw than a pot roast! She was always upbeat and never had a cruel word to say
about anyone. She was an absolute treasure and we were lucky to have her.
Thank you to mom’s caregiver Sonia and to the wonderful hospice team Arlen, Lloyd and Emily. If you
would like to make a contribution in Doretta’s name she was a supporter of St. Anthony’s Dining Room
and Second Harvest.
We are planning a celebration of Doretta’s life in the New Year.
What’s your fondest memory of Doretta?
What’s a lesson you learned from Doretta?
Share a story where Doretta's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Doretta you’ll never forget.
How did Doretta make you smile?
