Jane Riley

Of Arlington Heights

Jane Cordell Riley was born on October 15, 1926, in Burlington, Iowa, to Vail Cordell and Gertrude Robison Cordell. She passed away on August 16, 2021, in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Jane was the youngest of four children growing up during the Great Depression on a small farm in Biggsville, Illinois. Both her parents were educators, and she was a student in the one-room schoolhouse where her mother taught.

She attended Biggsville High School and graduated early as the valedictorian. Jane kept in touch with her classmates and returned to the area for high school reunions for many years. She went to Western Illinois University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she finished her master's degree in education and met her future husband, James, while they were vying for the same summer teaching internship.

They married in 1954, settling in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood to raise their daughter, Kay, and son, Michael. In retirement, they made Arlington Heights home. For the past four years, Jane enjoyed living in her apartment at the Moorings.

Jane’s long career took her from classrooms in Shelbyville and Woodstock, Illinois, to teaching literature and poetry in the English department at Evergreen Park High School for more than 30 years before retiring in 1984.

In her leisure time, she could be found working in the garden, reading the newspapers, playing the piano, traveling, doing crossword puzzles, taking care of her cat, poking through other people’s junk at garage sales, sitting on the front porch visiting with a good friend, watching classic movies and appreciating a beautiful sunset or moon rise.

But what meant the most to her was sharing a good laugh with friends and family. We will miss that so much.

Jane is survived by her daughter, Kay (Bill Zars) Riley, her son, Michael James (Lauren) Riley; and her stepdaughter Susan (Rich) Nicholes.

She was preceded in death by her husband James E. Riley; her parents; her sister, Lucille Swearingen, and her brothers, Vail Jr., and Robert Cordell.

There will be no formal visitation or funeral service in accordance with her wishes.

Condolences: www.GlueckertFuneralHome.com or (847) 253-0168.