- Date Of Birth: January 1, 1917
- Date Of Death: September 16, 2014
- State: Illinois
James M. Riva, 97, of Peru, passed away Tuesday, September 16, 2014, at Illinois Valley Community Hospital, Peru. Mr. Riva was born on January 1, 1917, in Dalzell to Peter and Felicita (Balma) Riva.
He attended McKinley School in Dalzell, St. Bede Academy in Peru, and graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1940. He worked on his Masters’s Degree in summer school in 1940 and 1941. From 1940-to 1942, he was employed as a coach and teacher at Tri-City High School in Buffalo, IL. In 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Force, serving in China, Burma, and the India Theater. He was honorably discharged in January 1946. After serving his country; he was a district manager for World Book Encyclopedia for 18 years and later a sales representative for the Illinois State Lottery, a division of the Illinois Department of Revenue from 1974 to his retirement in 1982. He was a member of St. Joseph’s Church, Peru, Oglesby Elks Club, Peru American Legion, Peru Veterans of Foreign Wars, Ladd Moose Club, Peru Eagles Club, University of Illinois Alumni Association, trustee of Peru Township from 1973 to 2005, and one of the original Red Coats at Illinois Valley Community Hospital, Peru, serving for 25 years. He is survived by a son, Jim Riva and his wife Sawako Uegaki, of Beaverton, OR; 2 daughters Maria Riva and her husband Bruce Janson of Denver, CO, and Jan Riva and her husband John Medlinger of Missoula, MT; 4 grandchildren, Juliae Riva, Olivia, and Erik Janson and Alecia Lane; a niece, Kathy Locke and her husband Bob and a nephew Don Riva and his wife Rita.
He was preceded in death by his parents and 2 brothers John and Peter Riva.
