Thomas Edward Riley Jr.

In Memory of Thomas E. Riley Jr. February 11, 1939–October 22, 2025

Thomas E. Riley, Jr., generally known as Tom or Riles, was born on February 11, 1939, in Evanston, Illinois, the first child of Thomas E. Riley and Virginia (Helstrom) Riley. He grew up on the North Shore of Chicago and attended The Joseph Sears School and then New Trier High School.

Even in kindergarten, Tom got all A's in being tolerant, respectful, courteous and thoughtful, inherent qualities that he exhibited for his entire life. The teacher also noted that he has “occasional spells of giggling…”, demonstrating his sense of humor even at that young age.

Throughout his life, Tom loved sports, both as a participant and fan, and he was a Chicago Cubs fan all his life. He was active in football, volleyball, baseball, skiing, tennis, golf and pickleball at various times in his life. He exceled in sports at an early age – he was first awarded the Joseph Sears school letter in football at age 8 and he was a “three-sport star” at New Trier (football, basketball and baseball). In addition to sports, Tom played trumpet in the New Trier High School band and sang in the church choir.

After graduating from New Trier in 1957, Tom enrolled in Michigan State University, majoring in packaging engineering. He joined Sigma Nu fraternity in 1958, where he played on their championship volleyball team.

Tom played left field on the Michigan State baseball team and become a star hitter, selected for the All-Big 10 Baseball Team in his first season. In 1961, he was named Most Valuable Player at Michigan State and was named to the All-American College Baseball Team. He led the Michigan State team in batting average, hits, RBIs and home runs. When he graduated, the school said that “the biggest holes to fill are those caused by the departure of Riley…”

Tom excelled academically as well, being named to the Dean’s List and, due to his “outstanding scholastic achievements and interest towards Packaging”, he was invited to join Pi Kappa Gamma, the Packaging Honorary Fraternity.

Tom was also in ROTC and became President of Scabbard and Blade, the honorary ROTC group. As a senior, he was one of 1,300 cadets from 40 universities selected to participate in a 6-week summer training camp at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was designated a Distinguished Military Student and appointed staff officer for the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corp cadet brigade at Michigan State. In 1961, he was one of only 20 senior ROTC cadets in the US to receive the National Defense Transportation Association award for outstanding scholarship, superior military rating, and leadership potential.

Following graduation from Michigan State, Tom married Trine Nielsen and was assigned to the army base in Pirmasens, Germany, for two years. He was a First Lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps, where he had top security clearance and was involved in nuclear warheads. While in Germany, they were able to travel to many countries in Europe, which was a great experience for them.

Returning to the Chicago area after his service, Tom joined Riley & Geehr, Inc., the family packaging manufacturing business in Chicago and became the President and CEO in 1973. Under his leadership, the company was transformed from a manufacturer of tri-wall pak stock shipping containers to a manufacturer of flexible packaging, one of the first in the US. Tom was one of the innovators in the US, designing and manufacturing stand-up pouches using zipper closures and spouts. The company was recognized for its pouch designs and Tom was highly respected in the industry. He was a member of the National Institute of Packaging, Handling, and Logistics Engineers and was elected to the Board of Directors at Michigan State’s School of Packaging Alumni Association in 1996.

Tom and Trine had three children, Diane, Chris and Karen, and Tom was a caring and devoted father. He treasured his time with his kids and was very involved in their education and day-to-day lives. He instilled in them his enthusiasm for the outdoors and was a role model for his gentleness and politeness. He treasured their family vacations skiing in Snowmass and at the beach on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which inspired his children to give similar experiences to theirs. He was also a very proud grandfather and shared his sense of fun, humor and adventure with his beloved grandchildren, Cleo, Jonna, Thomas and Maggie Jane, who all adored him.

Tom met his wife Sylvia in Chicago in 1992, introduced by a mutual friend at a benefit for the Suzuki-Orff School for Young Musicians, and they enjoyed their life together until his passing. They had many common interests, including traveling around the US and the world, and had an appreciation of the arts, frequently attending theater, concerts, museums and art exhibits in Chicago and in Tucson, where they owned a second home. They relocated to Tucson in 2017 and were active in the Ventana Canyon Golf & Racquet Club and the community.

Tom enjoyed talking to people, whatever the topic. His friends have described him as kind, helpful, caring, charming, enjoyable, and a perfect gentleman, someone we should emulate in our lives. He also had a great sense of humor, even during his long series of illnesses as evidenced when, after feeling stiff from laying in bed for weeks, he asked the nurse, “Do you have any WD40?”

Tom is survived by his wife Sylvia Pozarnsky, his three children Diane (John) Gavin, Chris (Gwen) Riley, and Karen (Roger) McEniry, and four grandchildren: Cleo Riley, Jonna Riley, Thomas Gavin, and Maggie Jane McEniry. Also surviving are his sister Nancy (William) Malicki, his nieces Sarah (Jeff) Furch, Lisa Riley and Laurie Welch, and their children, as well as his former wife, Trine Nielsen, his brother-in-law Darrell (Debbie) Pozarnsky and their children and grandchildren, his sister-in-law Janel LaBoda and her children, and his brother-in-law Ron Pozarnsky. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Richard Riley, and his in-laws, Gordon Olson and Tom and Georgia Pozarnsky.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 am on Sunday, November 9, at the Ventana Canyon Golf & Racquet Club in Tucson. Contributions in Tom’s memory may be made to the Tucson Wildlife Center or the Tom Riley Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Chicago Center for Music Education (registered as the Suzuki-Orff School for Young Musicians).