Helen Lucille (Burgess) Riley of Boston, Mass., was born on March 24, 1937, and she finished her earthly journey at the age of 87 on July 7, 2024. She was the second of six children born to Beatrice and John Burgess in Washington, D.C.

Relocating to Boston in 1969 she took a job with Beacon Electric Company. Nicknamed Lou, she loved filling her social life with friends, music (she knew all the words to almost all the songs of the 50's and 60's- which she would sing at the drop of a hat), dancing and good food. She liked nothing better than cooking for a crowd around her table. Lou was a caring woman who loved babysitting for the children of numerous friends and relatives over the years. She was generous to a fault, relentlessly accepting "found items" so that she could give them to people who needed them. Lou believed that you "were entitled to her opinion".

Lou again, was a social magnet. People were naturally drawn to her everywhere she went. She would hold long conversations while commuting through the streets or in the supermarkets for example, while we waited for her to finish her conversation. And if we asked her "Lou, who was that", she would answer "I don't know". Even as she spent the last ten months of her life in the Nursing Home, the staff and residents were always commenting on how pleasant she was, how easy she was to care for, always waving and smiling, making friends with the other residents and making sure the other residents were cared for by drawing the staff's attention to their needs.

Lou loved going to church, so much so that, during her membership of many years at Twelfth Baptist Church, Roxbury she would wake up to get dressed for the 11 a.m. service at 4 a.m., arrive at church at 8 a.m., the janitor would let her in, and she would sleep all alone in the Sanctuary until time for the service to begin. In her last few years, she was a member of the Congregation Lion of Judah, Boston.

The Matriarch of the family on the Maternal side, Helen leaves behind her only daughter Lu'kette (Diane) Stone-Riley, her daughter- in-law Brenda Stone-Riley of Quincy, MA., her only living sibling, her sister Florence Barber of Washington D.C. and her niece and caregiver Tessie Baxter of Quincy, MA. Additionally, she leaves behind several nieces, nephews, family members, friends, and associates. We, the left behind will honor her legacy forever and we will miss her great big, beautiful smile!