Riley Stafford Farmer III

December 30, 1960 - February 4, 2023

Riley Stafford Farmer III passed away on February 4, 2023 at his home in Yonkers, New York. He was born in White Plains, New York to parents Riley and Antolene Farmer on December 30, 1960. Riley grew up in Elmsford, New York with his five older siblings, and two younger brothers, eventually welcoming a younger sister to the family as well. He attended Alexander Hamilton High School (class of 1979) where he was fondly known for being the life of the party and making his classmates laugh. After graduating from high school, Riley went on to attend Hofstra University.

At an early age, Riley developed a love for golf, going on to become a professional caddy, and was always ready to give family members and friends a lesson on how to properly hold a club. Even when playing a friendly round of mini golf on vacation, Riley wanted to make sure his family had proper form.

Riley was a man full of many passions, strong beliefs, and lots of love. He truly had a personality that was unforgettable, making many people quote his sayings and break into laughter, daily. Anyone who knew Riley knew that he “lubbed him some chocolate,” and was ready to give a big “Yuck,” to any vegan meal photos his sister posted pictures of. Of course, we all knew he was joking. But that was Riley, he was consistent in the jokes he made, the things he liked, and the love he shared. And he had a lot of love to share.

Riley loved R&B, house music, and anything he could dance to, which, rest assured, was most music. He was competitive by nature and was always down to play a game of Bid Whist with his siblings, constantly making time for a commercial break to perform the infamous Oreo Cookie Song. Riley took pride in cooking, and loved sharing his decadent and delicious meals on Facebook, often making his friends and family’s mouths water. When Riley wasn’t cooking himself, he enjoyed eating his daughter Donasia’s, curry, fried chicken, or anything else prepared by his “babygirl.” Whenever Riley was able to, he enjoyed taking a moment to clear his mind out in nature and go fishing. He also took pride in bringing great air quality and peace to his home, by becoming a plant dad, with an abundance of love and care for his many plants. Riley had an intense love for animals, namely his childhood dog at 133 Sears Ave and his cat Smokey, who is now in need of a caring home.

An avid fan of the NY Jets & Knicks, Riley was always ready to talk about sports and get into friendly debates with family and friends over his favorite teams. He looked forward to his yearly Knicks games with his daughter Donasia, a Lebron fan, making everyone around them laugh when they would start to go at it. Although Riley’s love for the Knicks was incredibly strong, he smiled knowing that he and Lebron James shared a birthday because they were both his daughter’s favorite guys.

The list of Riley’s passions and loves goes on and on, but there was nothing he loved more than his children, Jamal and Donasia. Riley took every chance he could to go down to North Carolina to visit his son, and hop further upstate in New York to spend time with his daughter. He even had his wedding at Jamal’s house. We are certain that Riley rests well, knowing that his relationship with his children and their spouses was ever growing, so much so that they all took a family vacation to Myrtle Beach in 2021.

Riley was meticulous, clean, and organized. He loved creating a beautiful feng shui in his apartment, which was his safe haven. Seeing Riley’s lovely home made us all want to strive to be better. Riley was full of life, humor, support, and so much love. He was a proud father, brother, uncle, grandfather, husband and friend. With an unquenchable thirst for connection, Riley was quick to help someone out with a project or support his loved ones with a Facebook post; Riley's love for his family was abundantly clear. He was in pursuit of his happiness, and he was beginning to find it. Unfortunately, his quest was cut short. Riley was an open book, who dealt with both joys and struggles his entire life. His life was on display for all to see, as he was a transparent person. Riley told it as he saw it, which often made people laugh, challenge each other, and even deliver some tough-to-swallow advice. As we know, over time, truth heals, and Riley was a person who was committed to his own healing. His intense desire to be a positive member of society gave birth to his ascension from challenging times to thriving times. Riley’s legacy will carry on forever, reminding us to openly share our truths and connect with one another so that we may all heal together.

Riley is survived and missed by his loving wife, Yvonca Michelle Farmer; children, Jamal Farmer (Paula), Donasia Farmer (Alyssa); siblings, Brendajoy Griffin, Fonda Kitt Muhammad (Salahuddin), Brian Farmer, Gary Farmer, Sean Farmer, Erika Carroll (Carlos); stepmother, Connie Farmer; eleven beautiful grandchildren; and many adored nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

Riley was predeceased by Riley Farmer Jr. (father), Antolene Farmer (mother), Stafford Farmer aka Hanif Abdur Rahman (Brother), Robyne P. “Juicy” Farmer (sister), Darryle Griffin (nephew), Saleem Muhammad (nephew) and Samantha Johnson (mother of his dear daughter Donasia).

Riley Stafford Farmer III, known in his Muslim community as Salih, will be sorely missed. His Janazah (funeral services) will take place on  Friday 2/10/23 at 2:30pm @ Masjid Al Ihklas (25 Washington Terrace, Newburgh, NY 12550). Family and friends will head to the cemetery immediately after the janazah. (Noor Cemetery - Pleasant Hill Rd, New Windsor, NY 12553). There will be a gathering at the masjid community center following the burial, at around 3:30pm @ 25 Washington Terrace, Newburgh, NY 12550.

Riley will be buried at Noor Cemetery in New Windsor, NY, where his beloved sister, Robyne aka “Juicy” is laid to rest.

As they say in Islam, “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.” From God we come and to God we shall return. We pray Riley is at peace and that his spirit continues to shine, as he did when he was physically with us.

• In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to our GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover the cost of funeral arrangements for our dear Riley. Thank you in advance for your support.
• To make donations to help cover the cost of funeral / burial arrangements a visit: https://gofund.me/b91e4051 

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