Sue Riley remembers her husband’s love for life and education fondly. “Dan was a lifelong learner,” she says. “He was always supportive of the young people we knew pursuing their dreams through education.”
And now, thanks to Sue’s efforts to keep her husband’s legacy alive, a new scholarship is available in Cook County for high school seniors pursuing a liberal arts degree. “I chose liberal arts because Dan’s love for learning was very broad,” Sue explains. “Dan had a lot of interests and I wanted to honor that passion.”
The Daniel Patrick Riley Memorial Scholarship, which is administered by the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, will be awarded to high school seniors who attend Cook County High School and are in the top 25 percent of their class. The one-time scholarship award is $1,500 and can be used at any college. The Cook County Community Fund Advisory Board, which is an affiliate of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, will review the applications and make a recommendation for the award.
Dan Riley was a North Dakota native born in 1923. Growing up, Dan’s quest for knowledge led him to pursue a journalism degree at the University of North Dakota. But, like so many men during this era, his life changed on Dec. 7, 1941. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Dan trained to become a fighter pilot and then served in the South Pacific. At the conclusion of World War II, Dan continued piloting and was employed as a captain for Hawaiian Airlines, retiring after 37 years of flying.
It was during this time that he met Sue. The two both had family in the Detroit Lakes area and one summer while visiting family, their paths crossed. They fell in love and quickly evolved into a marriage lasting more than 20 years. They traveled to the north shore of Lake Superior and immediately were drawn to the big lake. “We first came to Grand Marais in 1980,” Sue says. “We fell in love with it. And, each time we visited we fell more and more in love with it.”
Upon retirement, they left Hawaii to be close to family in Detroit Lakes. They also built a home in Grand Marais to be near the lake and town they both loved. Sue often teased Dan about being the effusive Irishman surrounded by so many stoic Scandinavians, but she couldn’t imagine him any other way. “He was one of the kindest, caring men I ever met. His zest for life could light up an entire room.”
Following Dan’s passing in 2006, Sue wanted to do something to keep his legacy alive. She eventually decided on a scholarship fund through the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. Today, she hopes that students who receive the Daniel Patrick Riley Memorial Scholarship realize this opportunity exists because of Dan’s love for learning. “Dan touched so many people in positive ways throughout his life,” she says. “I know there’d be tears of pride in his eyes when these scholarships are awarded.”
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