William Stevens Riley ’63
William Stevens Riley ’63 died at home in Meriden, New Hampshire, on June 19, 2010, after being treated for cancer and a pulmonary embolism. Bill was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and graduated cum laude from Wilbraham & Monson Academy. He was director of trails and shelters for the Dartmouth Outing Club and summer director of the Ledyard Canoe Club. Bill served in the Army from 1961 through 1964, when he studied Czech at the Monterey Language School and trained on the job at the National Security Agency (NSA) in Washington, D.C. He was stationed in Bavaria, Germany, working on electronic eavesdropping and NSA projects with top security and top crypto clearances, according to Michael O’Leary, the executor of Bill’s estate. Bill returned to Dartmouth after his service to complete a B.A. in history. He earned a citation in education in 1967 for teaching a class in Czech. Bill taught for 23 years at Thetford Academy, retiring in 2000. He also taught at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire; Sea Pines School in Brewster, Massachusetts; and Hartford (Vermont) High School. He achieved a .675 winning percentage as a varsity soccer coach at Thetford Academy from 1988 to 1992. Bill was the team leader for the U.S. whitewater team at the world championships in Czechoslovakia, France and Italy in 1967, 1969 and 1971. He had an extensive music collection focusing on jazz and blues in later years. “Bill brought boundless enthusiasm and thoroughness to all his endeavors,” said O’Leary.
