Richard Lamar “Larry” Riney Jr., 87, of Owensboro, passed away December 9, 2018 at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. Larry was born in Daviess County on June 17, 1931, to the late Richard Lamar Riney Sr. and Mary Ozetta Hayden Riney. He retired after a long career with the State of Kentucky Department of Highways where he was a certified professional engineer. Larry was involved in either building or re-surfacing just about every road in Daviess County, and his greatest joy in his job was building bridges. He loved music and singing, never met a stranger and if you had a minute, he had a story to tell. He barbequed a mean chicken, enjoyed family gatherings, gardening and canning, and was well known for his famous tomato juice.
Larry was an avid lifetime UK basketball fan and in his younger years was a bowler, an athlete, and was even recruited by the New York Yankees baseball team as a junior in high school. He was proficient in woodworking and creating stained glass pieces to give as gifts to friends and family.
Larry was an active member of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church for over 60 years and was one of the first in Owensboro to be involved in the Cursillos movement. He was also deeply involved in prison ministry in Kentucky and Indiana and treasured the many precious letters he exchanged with those whose lives God touched through his ministry. Larry’s great loves were his Savior Jesus Christ, his wife, his family, and sharing the Word of God with others. He spent hours each day reading scripture and praying.
Larry is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Frances Benita Mudd Riney; his four children, Mary Watts and her husband, Carl, of Los Angeles, CA, Richard Lamar Riney III and his wife, Barbara, of The Woodlands, TX, Janet May and her husband, Chris, of Owensboro and Karen Hayes and her husband, Ron, of Jacksonville, FL; seven grandchildren, Caroline Nicole Riney Greenberg (Scott), Richard Lamar Riney IV, Sara Marie May Shields (Jeremy), James Alexander May, Ryan Andrew Hayes (Jill), Joshua Anthony Hayes and Jordan Elizabeth Hayes; four great-grandchildren; three sisters, Sydney Ebelhar, Joan Schartung (Tom) and Madge Fleming; also many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.
The funeral Mass for Larry will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church with Father Shaiju Thomas officiating. Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. with prayers at 7 p.m. Thursday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory, and after 9 a.m. Friday at the church. Burial will be in St. Alphonsus Catholic Cemetery.
The family has asked that expressions of sympathy take the form of contributions to St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church Building Fund, 7232 KY-56, Owensboro, KY 42301 or God’s Outreach / Prison Ministry, 1209 Moseley Street, Owensboro, KY 42303.