COLUMBUS — Willie X. Riley, 95, died June 18, 2026, at his residence.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, at Fourth Street M.B. Church, with Jimmy L. Rice officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 2-6 p.m. Friday at Carter’s Funeral Services. Carter’s Funeral Services of Columbus is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Riley was born Aug. 2, 1930, in Crawford, to the late Joe Riley and Elizabeth Crawford Riley. He was a veteran of the United States Army and was formerly employed with Edison Shoes. He was a member of Fourth Street M.B. Church.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Mae Riley; daughters, Cynthia and Theresa Riley; step-children, Steven Riley and Barbara Riley-Hicks; siblings, Joe Lee Riley, Mel Riley, Roosevelt Riley, Lourine Brown and Charlene Riley; and one grandchild.

He is survived by his children, Janice Smith of Bloomington, Illinois, Willie Riley of Columbus, Michelle Burks of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Jackie Riley of Chicago; step-children, Shelia Riley, Brenda Evans and Tommy Riley, all of Starkville, Cassandra Evans of Atlanta, Georgia, and Bernadette Riley of St. Louis, Missouri; sister, Leatha Dell Bowen of St. Louis, Missouri; and a host of grandchildren.