Bill Riley was raised in Berrien County, MI and graduated from Benton Harbor High School as Student Council and Senior Class President. Following high school Bill enrolled at Western Michigan University, but after a year and a half there he decided to enlist in the service. He served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force from 1951-1955. While he never saw action in Korea during the war, he patrolled as a military policeman at Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, NM, and was also part of the 812th Bomb Wing in England and Guam.

Bill left the service to continue his education at the University of Michigan. It was there that Bill met Coralyn Fitz, and the two were married August 24, 1957. This year they would have celebrated their 65th anniversary.

Bill earned a Bachelor's Degree in History and a Master's Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Michigan. In 1976 he earned his Doctorate of Education from Wayne State University. Bill spent his entire career as a teacher or administrator for the Garden City Public School District. He helped found the Garden City Building Administrators Association, served as president of the Garden City Education Association, and participated in the groundbreaking for Schoolcraft College. An educator at his very core, Bill could make any moment a teachable one, and his students, children and grandchildren benefited greatly from those interactions.

Bill's care, concern and generosity toward others showed up in a variety of ways – attending his 3 kids' activities, and later those of his 9 grandchildren; coaching youth baseball and basketball; serving as board president of the Plymouth Fife and Drum Corps; participating in 11 Costa Rica trips with Volunteers in Mission; serving in numerous ways at church, and more.

One of Bill's favorite places to be was "up north" at the family farm in Northport, MI. Built in 1865, the Howell Farm is the oldest sesquicentennial farm in Leelanau Township. Summers  were always spent there enjoying the history, peace, and beauty of the area with family and many new and old friends who would come to visit.

Bill loved his family deeply and was devoted to their well-being: His wife Coralyn; his children Mike (Laurel), Alison Collicott (Duane), and Dave (Becky); his 9 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

A memorial gathering is planned 1pm - 4pm with the program to start at 2pm Saturday, June 11, 2022 at the Garden City Park main pavilion.

Memorial gifts may be made out to First United  Methodist Church (designate "food pantry" in the memo line) and sent to the church at 6443 Merriman Rd., Garden City, MI 48135. Or give to a charity of your choice in Bill's memory.