Wallace D. Riley
Services were held Tuesday at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe Farms for Wallace D. Riley, former president of the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society and husband of the late Michigan Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Comstock Riley, who died May 17 at the age of 90.
Fore more than 25 years, Riley led the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society, founded in part by his wife.
Riley served as president of the State Bar of Michigan from 1972-73 and president of the American Bar Association from 1983-84.
In 1945, Riley graduated first in his class out of 477 from Southeastern High School in Detroit. He accepted an honor entrance scholarship to the University of Chicago, earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1947.
From the University of Michigan, he received the degrees of bachelor of business administration in 1949 and master of business administration in 1952.
Riley received his juris doctor degree in 1952 from the University of Michigan Law School. Continuing his studies in law at George Washington University, he graduated second in his class in 1954 with a master of laws degree.
Riley was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the JAG Corps of the U.S. Army at the Pentagon.
In 1968, he and his wife, along with George T. Roumell Jr., founded the firm of Riley and Roumell.
Riley served on the board of directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan from 1992-2002 and again from 2008-2018.
He is survived by daughters Shannon (Jim) Williams and Kristen (Don) Tottingham; sons Kevin (Annette) Riley, Michael Riley, and Peter (Michelle) Riley; along with six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Family members said memorial tributes could be sent to the American Cancer Society or St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church.
Published: Wed, May 23, 2018
