Felix Noah Riley

Felix Noah Riley was born on January 3, 2025. After overcoming some initial challenges, including a month spent in the NICU, Felix grew and began to thrive. He was diagnosed at birth with Down Syndrome and had to work harder for everything, but he did it all with a happy, patient countenance.

He had such a pleasant, sweet face, with dark blue eyes that stared straight into yours and held your gaze. Felix was often serious but, on occasion, his face broke into giant smiles that his family coveted. He loved his ten siblings dearly and saved most of his smiles for them. The younger kids in the family initially pronounced his name as "Felic," which became a nickname we all used when addressing him.

A natural observer, Felix spent much of his time looking above his seat, curiosity drawing his eyes up toward the ceiling fans, gravity-feed equipment, and toys hanging above his seat.

For a long time, his soft, brown hair had a lock that stood straight up in the back. He loved rolling around on the floor, being held by his adoring siblings, and playing with his ball toys. He had a surprisingly strong grip, holding our fingers (and, sometimes, pulling Mom's hair and Dad's beard) tightly. With the help of his physical therapy team, he was gaining muscle tone and could hold his head up with ease. He was also doing a great job in speech therapy learning to eat by mouth and had just begun to self-feed. Pureed corn and carrots were his favorite foods.

Felix passed away on August 4, 2025, a day after turning seven months old and a few days after returning from a road trip (one of his family's favorite activities). His death was a shock and leaves a massive hole. Felix's short life has left a huge impact on his family, and every day we had with him was a blessing. He was fiercely loved and is deeply missed.

He leaves behind his parents, Seth and Annaleah Riley; his siblings, Benjamin, Joanna, Ezra, Tobias, Simon, Linus, Moriah, Phoebe, Abram, and Zacchaeus; and his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A memorial service for Felix will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 30 at Renew Church in Waco. There is no dress code, but guests are welcome to wear blue and yellow—or mismatched socks—in honor of the Down Syndrome community.