Jean Meyer Riley

Jean Riley was born in Morris, Minnesota, on July 23, 1915, to Leal Carl Meyer and Henry Edwin Meyer. She grew up in Georgetown, Texas where she attended Southwestern University in which her father became Dean of Fine Arts. She interrupted her study of music at Southwestern to do a practicum of teaching for a year in Brownwood but then returned to graduate from Southwestern. She performed for the Georgetown Music Club at the age of 13 and, as an adult, became a faithful member of that organization. She was a member of the Galveston Music Club while living on the Gulf coast and taught private piano students at her home when her children were young. She enjoyed gardening, studying fashion design and was an accomplished seamstress including sewing some ball gowns for her daughters. After her family grew up, she obtained a Master’s Degree in French at the University of Houston and subsequently taught French in Alvin, Texas public schools.

Upon the death of her parents she moved back to Georgetown where she met and married Rev. Philip M. Riley, Sr., the love of her life. She and Philip enjoyed many years of travel and fellowship with friends and family and were active and faithful members of the First United Methodist Church in Georgetown. She became an accomplished watercolorist during these years, studying at Elderhostels across the country and with private teachers. Many choice paintings adorn her home which she inherited from her parents.

Jean was preceded in death by one child, Rose Claire Howell Slayden; one grandchild, Jonathan Decherd, Jr.; two brothers, Drs. Gregory Meyer and Rodney Meyer; and her parents.

She is survived by her loving spouse of 30 years, Rev. Philip Riley; her daughters, Jean Ann Howell Mann of Georgetown, Texas and Holly Howell Decherd and husband, Jonathan, of Austin, Texas; a son, Holland Rodney Howell, of Yarmouth, Maine; one brother, Henry Meyer of Marin County, California; grandchildren, Steven Gregory Snow, and wife, Alyssa, David Decherd, Michael Decherd, and wife, Caroline, Sydney Slayden, Stacey Slayden, her late grandson’s wife, Kim Decherd Borhani; eight great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial Services will be held in First United Methodist Church, Georgetown, Texas at two o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, February 22nd, followed by a reception in the adjacent McKinney Building.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the donor’s favorite charity.

Arrangements by Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home, 2900 Williams Drive, Georgetown, Texas 78628 (512)863-2564.