Ralph William Riley, 89, of Fort Mill, died Nov. 4, 2021.

A native of Lowell, N.C., he attended Mars Hill College and was a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. During almost 65 years in the ministry, he served churches in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, including Remount Baptist Church, Charleston, and First Baptist Church, Fort Mill. He was a pioneer in the field of religious drama and was a founding member of the first dinner theatre in Fort Mill. He served as associate pastor/minister of education at First Baptist, Fort Mill, for 15 years before retiring in 1998. He was later called back to the church as pastoral care minister before retiring again in 2018.

Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Jessie Thompson Riley, three children, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.