[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 130 (Thursday, September 19, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10979-S10980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO HELEN RILEY

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a special 
South Carolinian and well known Charlestonian, Mrs. Helen Schachte 
Riley, who passed away last week at the age of 81.
  Mrs. Riley was a respected community servant and devoted Christian, 
mother, and wife. Throughout her long and distinguished life, this 
enthusiastic woman was actively involved in her community and many 
local and charitable organizations.
  The strength of a community lies within its citizens, and Helen Riley 
contributed much to our great city of Charleston. Unquestionably, Mrs. 
Riley is a role model to many South Carolinians, including her son, Joe 
Riley, who serves as the Mayor of Charleston. Her legacy lives on and 
she leaves her children, grandchildren and great grand-children a proud 
heritage and fond memories of an outstanding and gracious lady.
  Mr. President, Helen Schachte Riley's family has my deepest 
sympathies and condolences on their loss. I believe an article from 
yesterday's Charleston Post and Courier nicely sums up Mrs. Riley's 
life and many accomplishments, and I ask unanimous consent that this 
article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             [Charleston Post and Courier, Sept. 18, 1996]

                          Helen Schachte Riley

       Helen Schachte Riley didn't make headlines, as did her late 
     husband, prominent civic leader Joseph P. Riley Sr., or her 
     son, the long-time, popular mayor of Charleston. But she was 
     a much-admired force in the community, known for her devotion 
     to her family, the quality of her character and her gracious 
     style.
       While naturally shy, Helen Riley had long been in the 
     limelight, either at the side of her husband, or as one of 
     her sons staunchest supporters. She handled her public role 
     with dignity and charm.
       A native of the city in which her family would play such a 
     prominent role, she was a bright student at the College of 
     Charleston, graduating second in her class. Then it was on to 
     Jefferson Medical College where she became a medical 
     technologist.
       But most of her life was spent as a wife and as a mother to 
     three daughters and a son. Before her death last week at age 
     81, her devotion had extended to 12 grandchildren and one 
     great-grandchild.
       Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., who delivered the eulogy at his 
     mother's funeral mass at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. 
     John the Baptist, remembered her Tuesday as the ``the best 
     role model'' and as ``the-glue that held us together--our 
     center of gravity.''
       Helen Riley's parents taught her the importance of 
     community service, the mayor said, noting her involvement 
     with the Association for the Blind and the Florence 
     Crittenton Home. And she was ``a wonderful child to her 
     parents,'' he noted, ``teaching us the joy and responsibility 
     of caring for three generations at one time.''
       Her husband and her children had no question about their 
     importance in her life. They knew, the mayor said, that they 
     were her ``very center'' . . . ``it was the bedrock of our 
     existence.'' Deeply religious, she also taught the value of 
     character above all else, according to her son, setting ``a 
     standard of goodness.''

[[Page S10980]]

       She has left behind many warm memories, not just for her 
     family but for a multitude of her friends and acquaintances. 
     The mayor said he has childhood friends who, 40 years later, 
     can still describe the smell and taste of a typical Helen 
     Riley summer dinner.
       She also leaves behind the legacy of a gracious lady who 
     became a role model, not just for her family, but for her 
     community, of a life well-lived.

                          ____________________