Ms. Earnestine Gillard Riley

Earnestine Gillard Riley was born on Wednesday, October 4, 1950, in Cross, South Carolina. She was the daughter of the late Willie Gillard and the late Ida Gillard.  She departed this life on Sunday, December 1, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina.

Earnestine attended Cross High School. She went on to work doing her favorite pastime of cooking as Chef to a doctor’s family in New York.  Later, she went on to care for and raise almost every child in the family and she loved on and impacted them all. 

At an early age, Earnestine accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and was a member of St. Paul African American Episcopal Church (Rivers Avenue). While a member there, she served as an usher.  She loved God and instilled the Ten Commandments in her children at a very young age. She was an amazing mother and loved all of her children dearly.  Being committed to her children, she attended every major event in their lives and provided love and protection to not only her children, but many other family members’ children. She made sure her children were afforded every opportunity to succeed and her children did just that, serving their country and earning master's degrees. To her, lack of education was not an option. 

While growing up in Cross, South Carolina, Earnestine met Ben, Jr. and was blessed with her two oldest children, Jacqueline Denise Gillard and Joseph Fitzgerald Johnson. Then, while in high school, Earnestine met and married her high school sweetheart, the late Bobby Capers of Holly Hill, South Carolina. They were blessed with a daughter, Danielle Nicole Capers. She would later go on to meet the late Christopher Hamlet whom she loved dearly and through their love, a beautiful son, Christopher Alonzo Capers was born.

Known for her strength, discipline, intelligence, drive and love for children, it was natural for Earnestine to become a high school bus supervisor for Charleston County for many years before retiring. She excelled beyond measure and was promoted from being a bus driver for students to being the Supervisor over all the buses.  To this day, children from throughout the city still say the same thing, "She was more of a mother to me than my own.  We love Ms. Earnestine.” She won multiple awards throughout the years from Charleston County’s School District.

Earnestine was well known all over for her cooking, her smile, her candor and honesty, and cleaning.  She also loved to dance and have a good time. Whatever she did, she did it well and did it her way.  Her favorite dishes to cook were red rice, macaroni and cheese, and potato salad. Anything she cooked was amazing. Every New Year's Eve, she cooked a big pot of Hoppin' Johns for good luck and collard greens for money. This tradition would be a lifelong one that everyone looked forward to so they could experience her food. Earnestine also loved watching karate, westerns, Katt Williams comedy, and Two and a Half Men. 

Earnestine enjoyed her life to the fullest with some notable interactions over the years. She once met Frankie of Frankie Beverly and Maze when she worked as a housekeeper for his hotel when he came to Charleston.  She also met Fred Sanford of Sanford and Son while he was wearing his long white coat that she loved. Last but not least, she loved the singers Tyrone Davis and Roy C.  She loved Tyrone Davis so much, she named her beloved nephew, T.J., after him.

In addition to her parents, Earnestine was preceded in death by her daughter, Jacqueline Denise Gillard; and grandson, Bobby Frederick. 

Earnestine leaves behind her children, Joseph Fitzgerald Johnson, Danielle Nicole Capers, and Christopher Alonzo Capers; many grandchildren and great-granchildren; her siblings, Rose, Carolyn, James, Freddy and Liza; and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews, relatives and friends, students who loved her, community members and leaders and the St. Paul African American Episcopal Church family.

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