Leonard Eugene Wahl was the son of Adeline Luise Wilhelmina Mielke and Leonard Frank Wahl. His parents separated when he was about 4 years old. His mother married George Peyton Riley. After she married George she started listing her son's name as" Leonard Eugene Riley" in his school records. When he was 12, his step-father drowned, but, his mother continued to call him "Leonard Riley", so, he grew up with the name Leonard Riley and when he joined the Navy he had to legally change his name to "Leonard Eugene Riley".
Leonard married Evelyn May Burlingame and had seven children. Dad's favorite way to wake his kids up in the morning was to say loudly " Daylight in the swamps " ! He was a salesman by trade and tried many different types of sales from selling silverware to electrics. He settled in his life career by buying into the business of "Northern Water Treating Company" in St. Louis Park, Mn and later changing the name to "Northern Aire Pools",as he changed the focus of the company.
He loved to hunt and fish in his younger years, but, his love for motorcycles and engines was his real passion in life. He spent the last half of his life enjoying his motorcycles. He went to Sturgis every year with his sons and friends, since about 1963 until he reached the age of 90. He had many bikes over his life time from Indians to Kawasaki's to Harley's, but, the one bike that would always win his heart was the "Harley- Davidson". He had about 26 "Harleys" over the course of his life. He loved custom saddlebags and his life long riding buddy Mike Ryan would make custom leather studded seats for him. Nothing could beat his Harley and the wind at his back until he was 91.
He sold Northern Aire Pools to his son and tried to retire. It did not work. His love for machines, engines and motorcycles catapulted him into an entire new career. He turned into a master machinist. He was a mathematical wizard and could do numbers and engines like no other. Machine enthusiasts from all over the country sent him engines to add power to and repair. He loved doing this more than anything other than riding his own motorcycle.
Having that salesman personality, he loved people, any and all kinds of people. He would tell his own kids, "always listen to what other people have to say,"he said, you learn a lot that way, as, they may know more than you !
His first born grandchild would call him "Gumpies" instead of grandpa,and,the nickname stuck with him his whole life. His friends loved the name and shortened his nickname to "Gumps".
He rode his Harley until he was 91 and sold it to a life long friend, Lee Gray. Lee rode his last "Harley" to his funeral at Fort Snelling and revved the pipes at his gravesite one last time. Dad would have loved to have seen that! It was our last tribute to dad.
Dad was a legend in the family and with his friends. . He added so much to so many peoples lives, and was loved by his friends and family. As our father would say about himself " I am the one and only of it's kind in captivity!" Thank you for the love, joy and laughter you brought into all of our lives dad . There could not be another one like you.
Bio By: Candy
Leonard married Evelyn May Burlingame and had seven children. Dad's favorite way to wake his kids up in the morning was to say loudly " Daylight in the swamps " ! He was a salesman by trade and tried many different types of sales from selling silverware to electrics. He settled in his life career by buying into the business of "Northern Water Treating Company" in St. Louis Park, Mn and later changing the name to "Northern Aire Pools",as he changed the focus of the company.
He loved to hunt and fish in his younger years, but, his love for motorcycles and engines was his real passion in life. He spent the last half of his life enjoying his motorcycles. He went to Sturgis every year with his sons and friends, since about 1963 until he reached the age of 90. He had many bikes over his life time from Indians to Kawasaki's to Harley's, but, the one bike that would always win his heart was the "Harley- Davidson". He had about 26 "Harleys" over the course of his life. He loved custom saddlebags and his life long riding buddy Mike Ryan would make custom leather studded seats for him. Nothing could beat his Harley and the wind at his back until he was 91.
He sold Northern Aire Pools to his son and tried to retire. It did not work. His love for machines, engines and motorcycles catapulted him into an entire new career. He turned into a master machinist. He was a mathematical wizard and could do numbers and engines like no other. Machine enthusiasts from all over the country sent him engines to add power to and repair. He loved doing this more than anything other than riding his own motorcycle.
Having that salesman personality, he loved people, any and all kinds of people. He would tell his own kids, "always listen to what other people have to say,"he said, you learn a lot that way, as, they may know more than you !
His first born grandchild would call him "Gumpies" instead of grandpa,and,the nickname stuck with him his whole life. His friends loved the name and shortened his nickname to "Gumps".
He rode his Harley until he was 91 and sold it to a life long friend, Lee Gray. Lee rode his last "Harley" to his funeral at Fort Snelling and revved the pipes at his gravesite one last time. Dad would have loved to have seen that! It was our last tribute to dad.
Dad was a legend in the family and with his friends. . He added so much to so many peoples lives, and was loved by his friends and family. As our father would say about himself " I am the one and only of it's kind in captivity!" Thank you for the love, joy and laughter you brought into all of our lives dad . There could not be another one like you.
Bio By: Candy
Leonard Eugene Wahl was the son of Adeline Luise Wilhelmina Mielke and Leonard Frank Wahl. His parents separated when he was about 4 years old. His mother married George Peyton Riley. After she married George she started listing her son's name as" Leonard Eugene Riley" in his school records. When he was 12, his step-father drowned, but, his mother continued to call him "Leonard Riley", so, he grew up with the name Leonard Riley and when he joined the Navy he had to legally change his name to "Leonard Eugene Riley".
Leonard married Evelyn May Burlingame and had seven children. Dad's favorite way to wake his kids up in the morning was to say loudly " Daylight in the swamps " ! He was a salesman by trade and tried many different types of sales from selling silverware to electrics. He settled in his life career by buying into the business of "Northern Water Treating Company" in St. Louis Park, Mn and later changing the name to "Northern Aire Pools",as he changed the focus of the company.
He loved to hunt and fish in his younger years, but, his love for motorcycles and engines was his real passion in life. He spent the last half of his life enjoying his motorcycles. He went to Sturgis every year with his sons and friends, since about 1963 until he reached the age of 90. He had many bikes over his life time from Indians to Kawasaki's to Harley's, but, the one bike that would always win his heart was the "Harley- Davidson". He had about 26 "Harleys" over the course of his life. He loved custom saddlebags and his life long riding buddy Mike Ryan would make custom leather studded seats for him. Nothing could beat his Harley and the wind at his back until he was 91.
He sold Northern Aire Pools to his son and tried to retire. It did not work. His love for machines, engines and motorcycles catapulted him into an entire new career. He turned into a master machinist. He was a mathematical wizard and could do numbers and engines like no other. Machine enthusiasts from all over the country sent him engines to add power to and repair. He loved doing this more than anything other than riding his own motorcycle.
Having that salesman personality, he loved people, any and all kinds of people. He would tell his own kids, "always listen to what other people have to say,"he said, you learn a lot that way, as, they may know more than you !
His first born grandchild would call him "Gumpies" instead of grandpa,and,the nickname stuck with him his whole life. His friends loved the name and shortened his nickname to "Gumps".
He rode his Harley until he was 91 and sold it to a life long friend, Lee Gray. Lee rode his last "Harley" to his funeral at Fort Snelling and revved the pipes at his gravesite one last time. Dad would have loved to have seen that! It was our last tribute to dad.
Dad was a legend in the family and with his friends. . He added so much to so many peoples lives, and was loved by his friends and family. As our father would say about himself " I am the one and only of it's kind in captivity!" Thank you for the love, joy and laughter you brought into all of our lives dad . There could not be another one like you.
Bio By: Candy
Leonard married Evelyn May Burlingame and had seven children. Dad's favorite way to wake his kids up in the morning was to say loudly " Daylight in the swamps " ! He was a salesman by trade and tried many different types of sales from selling silverware to electrics. He settled in his life career by buying into the business of "Northern Water Treating Company" in St. Louis Park, Mn and later changing the name to "Northern Aire Pools",as he changed the focus of the company.
He loved to hunt and fish in his younger years, but, his love for motorcycles and engines was his real passion in life. He spent the last half of his life enjoying his motorcycles. He went to Sturgis every year with his sons and friends, since about 1963 until he reached the age of 90. He had many bikes over his life time from Indians to Kawasaki's to Harley's, but, the one bike that would always win his heart was the "Harley- Davidson". He had about 26 "Harleys" over the course of his life. He loved custom saddlebags and his life long riding buddy Mike Ryan would make custom leather studded seats for him. Nothing could beat his Harley and the wind at his back until he was 91.
He sold Northern Aire Pools to his son and tried to retire. It did not work. His love for machines, engines and motorcycles catapulted him into an entire new career. He turned into a master machinist. He was a mathematical wizard and could do numbers and engines like no other. Machine enthusiasts from all over the country sent him engines to add power to and repair. He loved doing this more than anything other than riding his own motorcycle.
Having that salesman personality, he loved people, any and all kinds of people. He would tell his own kids, "always listen to what other people have to say,"he said, you learn a lot that way, as, they may know more than you !
His first born grandchild would call him "Gumpies" instead of grandpa,and,the nickname stuck with him his whole life. His friends loved the name and shortened his nickname to "Gumps".
He rode his Harley until he was 91 and sold it to a life long friend, Lee Gray. Lee rode his last "Harley" to his funeral at Fort Snelling and revved the pipes at his gravesite one last time. Dad would have loved to have seen that! It was our last tribute to dad.
Dad was a legend in the family and with his friends. . He added so much to so many peoples lives, and was loved by his friends and family. As our father would say about himself " I am the one and only of it's kind in captivity!" Thank you for the love, joy and laughter you brought into all of our lives dad . There could not be another one like you.
Bio By: Candy
Inscription
Leonard Eugene Riley.
S2
US NAVY
WORLD WARD II
June 16, 1922
July 23, 2012
BELOVED SON
FATHER HUSBAND
