Donald L. Riling (41) of Gwinn, Michigan died Saturday March 19, 1988 at K. I. Sawyer AFB hospital from injuries he sustained while fighting a mobile home fire. He was the only Forsyth Township Firefighter ever to die in the line-of-duty.

He was born November 17, 1946 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, son of Fred and Agnes Riling. He is survived by his wife Lynne, a son Mark, his parents and one brother John, of Miami, Florida. He served in the U.S. Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1970. He then moved to Hollywood Hills, Florida where he was a member of the Hollywood Hills Volunteer Fire Department. For the past 13 years he was a resident of Gwinn Michigan where he was employed at K.I. Sawyer AFB as a firefighter. He was also a member of the Gwinn Volunteer Fire Department, the Marquette County Firefighters Assoc., Marquette Masonic Lodge 101, Ahmed Temple Clown Unit, Kountry Korner Softball Team, Gwinn Bowling League and was voted Firefighter of the Year -1988 for Forsyth Township.

Funeral services were held in Gwinn, Michigan with members of Sawyer and Gwinn Fire Departments serving as pallbearers. Internment was at Gwinn cemetery.