Obituary of James A. Rile

James A. Rile was born in 1952 and 71 years later, on July 30, 2024, he departed this world surrounded by family at his home in Syracuse, NY. He was a person of great compassion and determination. His optimism for life was inextinguishable and carried him through the best and most trying of times.

Jimmy was born to Howell and Bettie Rile in Brooklyn, NY, and grew up in Ridgewood, NJ. As a boy, Jimmy wanted to be an astronaut and built a pretend rocket ship in his backyard, leading to a passion for space exploration and science fiction. He began singing in the choir at Christ Episcopal Church and went on to compete in choirs at the state and national levels, including at Carnegie Hall. His love of music of all genres stayed with him throughout his entire life.

Jim attended West Chester State College in PA, and was involved in student government before traveling, studying at Pendle Hill Quaker Study Center, and living at the Kripalu Yoga Ashram, where he was known as Bhaghirath. He received his B.A. in Human Services from Antioch University in 1980. That same year Jim married Christine Ellzey and they settled in the Philadelphia area, where they had two children, Courtney and Devon.

Jim was gifted working with his hands and explored many careers before founding his own company as an IT consultant, specializing in digital publishing. In his later years he combined a deep passion for knowledge with his computer expertise to develop an online archive for metaphysical research.

In 2021, suffering from lung disease, Jim moved to Syracuse, NY, to be closer to his children. He became the proud owner of an all metal Lustron home, which he thought of as his mid century modern rocketship, where he watched spaceship launches with his grandkids who fondly remember him as “Paw.” Despite physical hurdles and a dire diagnosis, he attended live concerts and a solar eclipse party in his honor. Thanks to an amazing support team, Jim was able to live at home until his last day. He was grateful to all the kind people who made this possible. He will be remembered for his big heart, intelligent mind, and enthusiastic love of life. 

James Rile was predeceased by his parents William (Howell) and Elizabeth (Bettie) Rile, and infant brother Kenneth. He is survived by his sisters Catherine (Cathy) McColgan, married to Mark McColgan, and Elizabeth (Betsy) Rile, and children Courtney Rile, married to Michael Barletta with daughter Wrynn, and Devon Rile, married to Kristen Buchan Rile, with sons Owen and Connor, as well as many Mitchell cousins. 

The interment of James’s ashes will take place on August 5 at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY, followed by a virtual memorial on Zoom on Saturday, August 10th at 10:30 AM EST. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Meals on Wheels of Eastern Onondaga County or to a gofundme fund to support finishing the digitization of the archival project Jim was so dedicated to in his final years- https://gofund.me/3542c22d