Sally A. Riley, a retired registered nurse who was active in church affairs, died Monday of heart failure at Howard County General Hospital. The longtime Ellicott City resident was 80.
Sally Anne Prim was born and raised in Hazleton, Pa. She was a cadet nurse during World War II and graduated in 1948 from the Jefferson Hospital School of Nursing in Philadelphia, where she began her nursing career.
In 1950, she married John M. Riley, her high school sweetheart, who later became director of congressional relations for the Social Security Administration.
Mrs. Riley held nursing positions at hospitals in New York and Pennsylvania before moving to Woodlawn in 1958. She worked at Howard County General Hospital from the 1970s until she retired.
She volunteered with the Hospice of Howard County and was former regent of the Ellicott City chapter of the Catholic Daughters of America.
Mrs. Riley enjoyed traveling.
She was a communicant of St. Paul Roman Catholic Church, 3755 St. Paul St., Ellicott City, where a Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
In addition to her husband, survivors include a son, John T. Riley of Madison, Wis.; a daughter, Anne Elizabeth Howard of Elkridge; and three grandchildren.