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George Riley:
Success led to life of generous giving
 The
benefactor behind downtown Farmington's newly-developed park has
the kind of life story that would make Horatio Alger proud.
George Riley has had a passion for wires and gadgets most of his life.
As a young teen, he took every class he could and joined the U.S. Navy
at age 16, to further his education.
When he returned home in 1952, Riley opened a television repair shop in
Plymouth and went to work supporting his wife, Dolores, and a growing
family. But he also took notice of an interesting phenomenon at a
downtown Plymouth hotel that offered guests a television in every room.
"I can tell you the day when I got out of the service, the
Mayflower Hotel had an antenna on the roof for every television,"
Riley told WJR's Tom Campbell in a recent interview. "It was like
an antenna farm."
Seeing an opportunity, he said, "We figured out a way to do it with
one antenna and an amplifier."
Riley sold his shop in 1959 and got into the business of educational
television, wiring schools and colleges throughout Michigan and,
eventually, creating a system that allowed automakers to set up a video
camera in a testing lab and watch the activity from a distant board
room. It was the first stage of broadband, a method of sending data over
cable wires.
Riley's company, Clover Communications, caught the attention of
Ameritech, and the company bought him out in 1998. At the
time, the Rileys took 20 percent of the proceeds and created The Riley
Foundation, opening a new and amazing chapter in their lives.
"The mission was really to help children," Riley said.
"We have a large family...and 10 grandchildren. I'd like to see
them not have any difficulties in life."
The Foundation's latest project will create a haven for children and
their families in downtown Farmington. As part of the Main Street
redevelopment program, The Riley Foundation has provided $400,000 to
completely fund creation of a park in the Downtown Farmington Business
Center parking lot. The area will soon become a true community center
with the Walter E. Sundquist Pavilion and a pedestrian-friendly
redesign.
Farmington resident David Judge, a childhood friend of Riley's son,
Bill, was a member of the original Pavilion Committee. When he heard the
city planned to build a park around the new structure, he thought it
might be a wonderful opportunity for a partnership with The Riley
Foundation.
"When we came over and talked to Mr. Riley about the Pavilion, he
didn't want to overshadow Mr. Sundquist's very generous
contribution," Judge said. "Then he said, 'But if there's
anything else...'. That thought stayed in my mind."
Riley said he was happy to contribute to the project; he and his wife
have enjoyed the downtown Farmington area for many years. The park is a
natural connection to the Foundation's mission, which from day one has
focused on making children's lives better.
The Rileys first reached out to benefit children and families at Our
Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and School, the family's home parish.
Funds helped build the Family and Early Childhood Center, improved
facilities in the school, as well as the church building. A sculpture of
Jesus with several children graces the school grounds, in memory of the
Rileys' son who died in a tragic car accident at age 15.
The five surviving Riley children are all Foundation board members;
daughter Kim Riley-Fouts serves as its director. The organization has
never taken applications or requests.
Somehow, the needs find them.
Take the case of tiny Maja Rembisz, a four-year-old Polish girl who was
deathly ill.
"Every morning, I read the Free Press on the Internet," Mr.
Riley said. "One of the reporters wrote about this girl. Her aunt
lived in Sterling Heights. She had an incurable blood disease."
The Riley Foundation not only paid for the cost of treatment, they flew
Maja and her parents to the United States, where they lived for six
months while the child underwent treatment. They are now back in Poland,
and Maja is doing very well. The Rileys hope to arrange for her to visit
next year.
The assistance they provided had a couple of unexpected blessings.
Another woman whose mother had suffered from similar symptoms was able
to obtain life-saving treatment, when she realized from Maja's story
that the doctors had incorrectly diagnosed the ailment. And Maja now has
a new sibling, a child conceived while the family was in the U.S.
"I've said I'm going to get the baby a t-shirt that says 'Made in
America'," Riley joked.
Dozens of children and teachers have expanded their horizons with the
help of the Foundation, through scholarships to outdoor adventures and
wilderness programs. Having grown up as an avid outdoorsman, Riley sees
the value in introducing young people to the 'great outdoors'.
One of the Foundation's largest projects has been a partnership with
Detroit Public Television. When Channel 56 decided to move to Wixom, The
Riley Foundation struck a deal to provide them with a building, which
will be called the Riley Broadcast Center.
"The connection there is that they do a good job with children's
programs," Riley said.
Now that a non-compete agreement with SBC Ameritech has expired, Riley
has founded a new company, RF Connect, which engineers wireless systems
for large companies. And while he is a busy man, George Riley never
seems to run out of the energy that lies at the heart of The Riley
Foundation.
"It's a good feeling to help people," he said. "But I
don't look at it as something special. I look at it as something that's
got to be done. It's a commitment."
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Annette Knowles, Executive
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Downtown Farmington
33316 Grand River Avenue
Farmington, Michigan 48336
248-473-7276
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This page last modified on 12/29/07.
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