
The Story of Roy and Barb
Roy Jr. Riley, 11/28/1928 - 10/13/2023
Barbara Jean Riley, 1/13/1930 - 12/21/2024
Roy Jr. Riley (Sonny) and Barbara Jean Rummans (Barb) met as teenagers at Reeds Ice Cream shop on Forest Avenue, in Des Moines, Iowa. For Roy, it was love at first sight, and he told Barb that he was going to marry her. This was as he was giving her a ride home on the handlebars of his bicycle. Barb was less convinced and responded, “You’re crazy.”
Soon, they did marry and eloped to Arkansas (January 19, 1947). Knowing their parents would not approve, they kept their marriage a secret and continued to live in their separate family homes. When they finally revealed their union, they moved into a tiny apartment. Their first home together. Roy worked to support them while attending Drake University Business School. Soon, their first baby, Dennis, arrived (1947). Stephen (1949) would follow and then Robert (1951). Their fourth child was a girl, Gena (1956). By now they were built a home on Roseland Drive in Urbandale and were raising their family.
Roy first began work in construction and then eventually joined his father’s auto dealership, Riley’s Ford Motors in “The Junction” of West Des Moines. Roy then started in real estate and eventually opened his own business, Crown Realty. Roy loved flying and fulfilled his dream of obtaining his pilot’s license. Barb was artistic and enjoyed painting, sewing, knitting, and quilting.
Roy and Barb loved to travel, and in the early days would take the kids on camping trips in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming. A cruise to Alaska in later years rounded out their visits to all 50 states in America. Roy and Barb traveled overseas many times and especially enjoyed visiting Ireland.
With the help of their kids, they built a vacation home on Lake Panorama, which was a source of endless fun for the family. Roy enjoyed taking the family out on the lake, on his pontoon boat. When it came time to retire, they took up golf and enjoyed playing until their bodies no longer let them. They both won several golf tournaments.
Eventually, they longed for sunshine and moved to Las Vegas. They then decided to move to Bellingham, WA to be near Gena but soon missed the warm weather. On a trip to Oro Valley, AZ, they saw a house for sale and decided then and there to buy it. Roy said living in Oro Valley was as close to perfect as you could get.
Roy passed away on October 13, 2023. Barb kept Roy waiting and passed on December 21, 2024. In their 78 years together, they never spent more than a night apart, until hospitalizations in their last couple of years. Every year on the anniversary of their meeting, Roy would serve Barb ice cream. Roy kissed Barb good night every night.
They are preceded in death by their parents, Roy’s brother Gene, and Barb’s brothers Bud and Fred, daughter, Gena, and son, Stephen (Bobbi). They are survived by; Barb’s sisters, Bonnie and Cora, their sons Dennis (Sue) and Robert (Teri), they have eight grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, and lots of nieces and nephews.
Always together, together always…love knows no bounds