Nadine Emma Risley

Nadine Emma Risley, 80, of Breese, Illinois, formerly of Zeigler, passed away on March 6, 2026, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

Born on October 19, 1945, in Columbia, Illinois, to Elmer and Hilda Wilde, Nadine graduated from Columbia High School before earning her bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She married Randall Risley on December 21, 1968, at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Columbia.

Nadine devoted 39 years to teaching in the Elverado School District, beginning in 1967 and retiring in 2006. She spent the majority of her career in the Resource Room, providing individualized and small-group instruction to students with special needs, and later served as the district’s Title I Reading Specialist. She also sponsored the Beta Club and Quiz Bowl, guiding both to numerous awards and recognitions. Deeply committed to her profession, she remained active in the Elverado Education Association, Illinois Education Association, National Education Association, and NEA Retired Teachers, serving in leadership roles and regularly attending state and national conventions.

Nadine is survived by her husband, Randall “Randy” Risley; her daughter, Catherine Risley-Gass; son-in-law, Brian Gass; grandson, Dansby Judge Gass; and nephew, Nick Katchur. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Marlene Katchur.