Daniel C. Riley

Daniel C. Riley Daniel C. Riley, 63, of Boise, McCall, and finally Riggins, died Dec. 5, 2007 of a heart attack. It must have been a massive heart attack because as his many friends will attest, his heart was huge. Dan died at his home on the Rapid River near Riggins. There is a certain propriety to this since Dan had recently completed the building of his magnificent "final" new home - looking directly up the river to a gorgeous valley leading to the Seven Devils mountain range. A remarkable man by any measure, Dan was born in Boise on Oct. 6, 1944 to Carl and Zelma Riley, legendary owners of Riley's Store for Men. Danny loved his parents and they loved their only son, unconditionally. Dan was particularly close to his mother, whom he called "Slim" or "Z," watching over her with tender care during her last years. Dan is survived by his beloved sister, Patricia Cranston and her husband, John, of Los Altos Hills, Calif., along with their children, Jake and Susan Cranston of Dallas, Texas, Riley and Deanna Cranston of Bend, Ore., Kate Melbye of Menlo Park, Calif., and Jason and Jeannine Cranston of San Mateo, Calif. Dan was close to his nephews and nieces and was always wonderful with everybody's children. Dan Riley was one of those rare people who cannot be replaced. In some ways, he cannot actually be described. He grew up in Boise's North End - red-headed, muscular, and mischievous. Always a good athlete, Dan competed to the limit in skiing, golfing, baseball, and football - always a starter, often a winner, always a fierce competitor. He had a laugh that matched his Irish imagination and a hilarious sense of humor, but he was also a man of compassion and decency. It was all of these qualities that accounted for his many friendships. If there is a singular feature of Dan Riley's life, it is the number of friends he accumulated by the end of it. They number in the hundreds. His close friends number in the many, but none of them envy the others. They all simply consider themselves lucky to have known Dan and to have been a part of his life. Dan was a proud member of the Boise High School class of 1962. After matriculating at the University of Idaho, where he became a Sigma Nu, he transferred to Boise State College, then followed his parents into the clothing business. Later Dan became a mortgage broker in McCall, doing quite well for himself as he moved ever closer to the big game hunting and the big time fishing that always fascinated him, and was so central to his life. Dan Riley was the consummate outdoorsman of the first order. While most people live in a world of four seasons, Dan had but two: the hunting and fishing seasons, although Dan's seasons did not always comport with those decreed by the Department of Fish and Game. As a hunter and fisherman, he had few peers. Dan hunted and fished all over the world. At the end of his life, he owned a home in one of the premiere hunting and fishing locations of Idaho, and a second home on the Kenai River in Alaska. Hunting and fishing were his passions. He was a pro at both. Dan was married twice, to two wonderful Boise women. His first wife was Pat Whipkey; his second was Carol Gill. Dan's life will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007 at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 28th and State Street in Boise. Services are under the direction of Summers Funeral Home, Boise Chapel. Dan's service at St. Mary's will be followed by a reception at the Basque Center. On Saturday afternoon, Dec. 15, from 1-4 p.m. a wake will be held in his honor at Dan's home on Rapid River, near Riggins. Ask the Riggins locals for directions. Make the Rapid River turn. It promises to be a hoot. As Dan Riley so often said, "I've been wrong so long I've got to be right tonight." Some parishioners at St. Mary's will remember him as an altar boy. On occasion, when handling the paten, Dan would shuffle his shoes on the carpet, then surprise the recipient of the Holy Eucharist with a jolt of static electricity by placing the paten against the communicant's Adam's Apple. This way he made sure they saw the light. We will miss him more than we know. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Idaho Humane Society, McPaws in McCall, or the Wildlife fund of your choice.