Mrs. Zada Frances Riley

Obituary of Zada Frances (Schwartzman) Riley Age 79, died on February 7, 2016, in La Jolla/San Diego, CA Frances Riley, born on May 15, 1936, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was the only child of Charles August Schwartzman and Zada Wolf Schwartzman. Frances (known to family as Jerry) attended St. Mary’s High School and upon graduation moved to Denver, CO, to attend Lorreto Heights College. She often said she owed so much to the Sisters of Loretto. It was there she met her husband, ‘Bob’ (a Kansas native), at a school open house on Valentine’s Day 62 years ago. Frances was the first in her family to graduate college, which she did with a BS in Nursing. Immediately she began her life-long nursing career at Glockner Penrose Hospital, and by age 22 she was teaching nursing at the hospital. Bob and Frances married on May 31, 1958, at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Albuquerque. The couple began married life in Texas, and within a few months relocated to San Diego, CA, where Frances became a Public Health Nurse for the County of San Diego working in the field with the at-risk and poor. In 1966, the couple’s only child, a daughter, was born. Frances became a full-time mother. She rounded out her life by designing the couple’s dream home in Territorial New Mexican style, refinishing family heirlooms for the house, volunteering at Stephen Birch Aquarium, planning numerous camping and backpacking trips to the mountains and Mexico, as well as creating a home away from home in Bad Homburg, Germany, where her husband worked as a visiting scientist which gave them a chance to travel through Europe. When their daughter was older, Frances returned to work as a school nurse at San Diego Unified School District and then as Director of the Dental Disease Prevention Program. During this time she perfected her Spanish with lessons, conversation groups, and multiple immersion classes in Mexico. In addition, she earned an MS in Nursing at University of San Diego as well as an MPH in Maternal Child Health at San Diego State University’s Graduate School of Public Health. She was also a board member for Children’s Dental Health Association and volunteer at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Frances was an advocate for social justice and lived the doctrine of treating others the way you would want them to treat you. Through her nursing career and personally becoming a role model for compassion, understanding, care, joy, sacrifice for the betterment of others, love and faith, Frances made the world a better place for all those she touched. In 2000, Frances became a grandmother and brought the same devotion to this chapter of her life. She not only shared her love of outdoor adventure – beach, mountains and desert – with her grandsons but also her caring principles, and tender love. She was a parishioner at St. Brigid’s for approximately 55 years, and her Catholic faith, albeit quite, was her foundation. After a long illness, Frances died peacefully at home surrounded by her family and good friend. She is survived by her husband, Robert ‘Bob’ L. Riley; daughter, Bridget Riley Santos; son-in-law, Roland J. Santos; and grandsons, Riley Joseph Santos and Bennett Lee Santos. Burial will be in a family plot at the cemetery of St. Martin’s Catholic Church, Piqua, KS. In lieu of flowers the family respectfully request donations in Frances’ remembrance directed to charities close to her heart and values: Sisters of Loretto, Retirement Fund Sisters of Loretto Retirement Fund The Loretto Development Office 4000 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Littleton, CO 80123 http://www.lorettocommunity.org/paypal/ Casa De Los Pobres Casa de los Pobres P.O. Box 9596 San Diego, CA 92169 http://casadelospobresusa.com/about-the-non-profit-group/donate-to-the-casa/ Please call the Pacific Beach Chapel for funeral services details. 858-488-5553