Linda Vance Riley (Belk)

Born in Okaloosa County, Florida, Linda was raised and lived most of her adult life in and around Kosciusko, Mississippi. After retirement, she moved to Alabama to be close to her daughter and grandchildren and then later moved to Atlanta after the death of her beloved daughter, Melinda.

Linda is survived by her son, Charles Vance-Broussard, and son-in-law, Andrew Vance-Broussard, both of Atlanta, Georgia; her grandson, Parker Vance White, granddaughter, Mary Margaret White, great-grandson, Sebastian Kai White, and son-in-law, Danny White, all of Clanton, Alabama; her brother, Kenneth Jackson (Mary), of Florence, Mississippi; and her aunt, Melba Belk Ruell, of Indianapolis, Indiana.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James M. Riley, Sr.; her daughter, Melinda Vance White; her mother, Margaret Janell Jackson (Jack); her father, Paul E. Belk; and her brother, Charles Terry Jackson.

Linda spent two decades in retail management with Walmart and retired from Procter & Gamble in 2008. She had an amazing talent for making jewelry, amassing an impressive collection of gemstones that she turned into works of art. She also devoted much of her time to working the phone banks for Georgia Democratic candidates; her southern drawl and down-home warmth kept many people on the line and helped secure critical donations for her favorite candidates. One of the highlights of her later years was meeting the Mayor of Atlanta, the Honorable Andre Dickens, at the Mayor's Ball.

For the past four years, Linda made her home at Lutheran Tower in Midtown Atlanta, where she formed close friendships and spent her days laughing and trading news from around the Tower. Her family is deeply grateful to those friends for making her final years so meaningful, and to her private nurse, Shannon Payne of Atlanta, Georgia, for the care and dedication she gave their cherished Granny in the last months of her life.

A memorial service will be held Friday, October 9th, 2026, 4:00PM, at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Midtown Atlanta. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that all donations be made to Lutheran Community Food Ministry-Lutheran Church of the Redeemer.