Chuck and Bunny Riley, shown in an early photo, were inseparable, their daughter said. (photo courtesy of Liz Pitman)
The celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Park Labrea News marks an appropriate time to pay tribute to former owner Chuck Riley and his wife, Bunny, who were an important part of the newspaper’s history.
Charles “Chuck” Riley and Olga “Bunny” Riley owned and operated the Park Labrea News from 1972-1990. Chuck Riley (1929-1991) was a respected news executive who worked for KCBS and KTTV, and was former editor and president of City News Service. Bunny Riley, who died on Feb. 21, 2022, at the age of 93, was his longtime wife and supporter, and the two were inseparable, their daughter Liz Pitman said. Pitman added that her father frequently said Bunny was the “real businesswoman” behind the publishing ventures.
“Almost everybody liked her, but she could be tough,” Pitman said. “He was artistic, being a journalist. She was the one who made sure the office ran and made sure that, with any kind of business, that it made sense.”
Pitman said her mother and father attended major political events together in the 1960s-80s and had the opportunity to meet many important figures including then-Sen. John F. Kennedy and former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Bunny, who was born in Long Beach, originally pursued a career in acting and theater, and Pitman added that her mother started a theater group among fellow seniors after she moved into assisted living later in life. The Rileys lived in the Franklin Hills and Clayton Hills areas near Los Feliz for decades
“We were always really close, my brother and myself and my mom and dad,” Pitman added. “They were very involved. She was always very close with us.”
Chuck and Bunny Riley sold the Park Labrea News to the current owners and publishers, Michael and Karen Villalpando, in 1990. The Rileys are survived by their daughter Liz (Elizabeth) and son Edward.
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