Joshua G. Riley

Joshua G. Riley, age 20, of Livonia, passed away unexpectedly on September 20, 2025. He was born on November 22, 2004, in Detroit, Michigan; beloved son of Kelly D. Riley and Kathleen L. Batton.

Joshua grew up in Clawson before moving to Livonia at the age of 12. He graduated from Stevenson High School with the Class of 2022. After taking a gap year, he began courses at Schoolcraft College, working toward his longtime goal of a career in cyber security. Joshua spent the past two years working as a Field Service Engineer with Diebold Nixdorf. He took pride in his work, meeting each challenge with determination and perseverance.

During his middle and high school years, Joshua was an active member of the Livonia Robotics Team, where he enjoyed designing, building, and operating robots for competition. His fascination with technology carried over into his greatest passion—gaming. He spent many enjoyable hours on his high-performance gaming computer. Joshua also had an eye for photography and put his technical skills to use behind the scenes as a modern stage technician, managing lights and sound for his high school theater productions.

Joshua’s love for motorcycles began when he received his first bike at the age of four. That passion reignited last year when he purchased a Ninja 500, which quickly became a source of pride and joy. Ever conscientious, he equipped himself with the best protective gear. In addition to riding, Joshua enjoyed working on cars and gained satisfaction in keeping his motorcycle in top condition.

Joshua was a devoted son who was always there for his parents, lending a hand around the house, sometimes after a little encouragement, as any teenager might. He had a tender heart and often wrapped his mom in a big bear hug at just the right moment. Joshua’s love for animals was clear in the bond he shared with his cat, Bud, and through the time he spent volunteering with his mom at Poet Animal Rescue, where he gave and received unconditional love. He was a treasured son, a fun-loving nephew and cousin, and a loyal friend. His presence will be profoundly missed.

Joshua is survived by his parents, Kelly Riley and Kathleen (Brian) Cepuran; his grandmother, Kathleen Melchert; his great aunt, Nancy Gawecki; his stepbrother Damion Folsom-Cepuran; and his aunts, Jennifer (Mark) Stachowiak, Christine (Doug) Chaney, and Kristina (Bradley) Seth. He was preceded in death by his grandmother Susan Batton.

A memorial visitation will be held Sunday, October 5, 2025 from 3:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Casterline Funeral Home, 122 West Dunlap, Northville. Memorial contributions are suggested to All About Animals Rescue, 23451 Pinewood Street, Warren, MI 48091 or Michigan Anti-Cruelty League, 13569 Joseph Campau, Detroit, MI 48212.