Nicholas William Riley

Nicholas Riley, 39 of Wakefield, RI, passed away unexpectedly at his home on August 2. Nicholas was the son of James Cashman and the late Eileen Riley. He was a child of Block Island who arrived on day two of his life and was a constant presence on the Island from that day forth. Nicholas was a writer and a painter, honing his painting skills with his dad Jim, before taking his talents to Hawaii, where he built a successful house painting business and thrived for several years. Nick loved sharing stories of painting grand homes overlooking the North Shore of Oahu and more playful adventures exploring the Island, swimming with sea turtles, searching for rare seashells, precious gems and even sunken treasure! While he was there, he extended his family, creating eternal relationships with kindred spirits. He hosted his family on Oahu on several occasions where he introduced his family to his new local family and loved welcoming them into his home, guiding them around paradise, creating unique, locally inspired dishes that delighted the palate. His generosity and kindness knew no bounds when it came to those he loved. Nick was a voracious reader and a talented writer, creating wondrous characters bursting with energy and sparkle that personified himself. Nick was in the process of self-publishing a novel, his life's work. Nick's joyful presence and affectionate nature captivated children and he loved telling stories to them, creating worlds of fantasy and magic to their delight. Nick's sister Sarah writes of "his unequivocal ability to make people laugh, whether they were people he knew his whole life, or staranges in line at a store - his shining personality brought joy to this world." Nick is survived by his sister Sarah, brothers Josh and Simon and their spouses, his niece Caroline, who adored Uncle Nick, and 2 nieces expected in October. He leaves behind an enormous number of people who loved him and were so appreciative of his kindness, generosity, sparkling eyes and laughing spirit. May Nick's soul rest easy in the knowledge that he made a profound and positive difference in many lives.