Robert (Bob) Norman Riley

Robert (Bob) Norman Riley was born in Carlsbad, NM, in 1937. He was the middle child of Norman and Virginia Riley. He had an older brother, Jim (deceased) and a younger sister, Kathryn. He graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1955.

Bob graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) in February 1961 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After a brief stint at Boeing Aircraft Co, Bob joined North American Aviation and worked on the Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle missions and the Apollo-Soyuz launch. In 1982, he joined the High Energy Laser Test Facility (HELSTF) at the White Sands Missile Range, and in 1990 he became the Program and Site Manager until his retirement in 1999. At the age of 44 Bob became an avid runner. He finished eleven marathons and many triathlons and was an age-group champion in the Southwest Challenge Triathlon Series for two years.

At age 69 and with no musical experience, Bob decided to play the trumpet and became a member of the New Horizons Band at NMSU and played for 14 seasons.

He married Barbara Warner in 1967. They were married for 33 years until her death in 1999.

Bob married Elizabeth Moore in 2002. They lived a wonderful life together traveling to more than 30 countries and much of the US. Elizabeth played the violin for the New Horizons Symphony Orchestra while Bob played with the Band.

Bob is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and his sister, Kathy Burris, and her husband, Tony, of Highlands Ranch, CO.

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