My close friend (from childhood), Michael (Mike) Riikola, passed away on September 1, 2024. He 'marched to his own drum' as a passionate intellectual, reading Nietzsche and the NYT before high school. Mike admired Jimmy Hendrix, along with playing his own guitar in a self-styled band. Along with being a practicing Phoenix attorney for 40 years, he became a very devoted baseball player in the MSBL. For me, he was my "master editor" and diagnoser of BS, and valued learning, philosophy and history far more than those of us who lived by grades alone!!! He was a light to the larger world for me, and I am very sad he is gone.
Fun facts:
1. He could make his eyes (aka eyeballs) vibrate.
2. He mistakenly (?) shot a rubber band that hit the arm of our very inappropriately-dressed 8th grade math teacher (tight sleeveless knit turtlenecks, '50's swing skirt, flip-flop high heels). Needless to say, he was sent to the principal's office!
My brother shared with me of Mike's death. He was one of my favorite people in high school, we went to lunch often and always laughed our butt's off. I'm sorry I didn't get to visit with him before he passed. I remember him fondly.
I also remember Mike as a very personable and funny guy. I always sought him out at reunions, but I was always disappointed. Surprised such a popular classmate was not an extrovert, at least not enough to join his admiring classmates.
I remember he could draw well, but if no one else does, perhaps I am conflating him with Rich Chidlaw. Surprised how sterile his obit was, suspect he would have rewritten it, given a chance.
In a class where wit was valued, he was among the wittiest. Sad to see him go. As a fellow lawyer, I only ran into him a time or two, but life can be like that.
Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly, but I thought he came to the 10 year reunion in a limo, spoofing the whole humble brag associated with those gatherings. I thought that was hilarious. I didn't know Mike well but I always appreciated his wry humor. In any case, cheers to his well lived life.
Mike Riikola was a classmate that just happened to be the lead guitar player of a short-lived band I was in. He happened to be a great guitar player and could actually emulate the Jimi Hendrix style of guitar playing at a really high level!
So, Mike played guitar and I was the drummer & singer (both of us from the Class of 69). Our band, (The John Galt Band) had an agent that got us a gig opening for Lee Michaels & his Drummer Frosty (Lee Michaels is best known for his hit song "Do You Know what I Mean" from 1971), but now he's much better known as the start-up owner of "Killer Shrimp" in Marina Del Rey, CA. Still there today.
Also, on the "Bill" that night was a band called Poco (also a CA. Band made up of a former member of Buffalo Springfield (Richie Furay) and (Jim Messina) of Loggins and Messina. There was also another band called the Beans, with another Camelback HS Alumni (Bill Spooner) that would soon move to Frisco and become the "Tubes".
We were the opening act of this prestigious line-up in the fall of 1969. We opened our set in front of the 10,000+ crowd with a song called "Bring it on Home" from Led Zeppelin II (Originally written by Willie Dixon, a blues legend). However, the crowd had barely heard Led Zeppelin's new album that had just come out and they actually thought it was OUR song. The crowd went crazy from the first song and we held our own with what was a pretty stellar crowd of musicians.
Anyway, this is just a fun little story about Mlke and one of his many talents. Sorry to hear that Mike Riikola died on September 1, 2024. He was very interesting and wonderful guy!
Wendy Korrick
My close friend (from childhood), Michael (Mike) Riikola, passed away on September 1, 2024. He 'marched to his own drum' as a passionate intellectual, reading Nietzsche and the NYT before high school. Mike admired Jimmy Hendrix, along with playing his own guitar in a self-styled band. Along with being a practicing Phoenix attorney for 40 years, he became a very devoted baseball player in the MSBL. For me, he was my "master editor" and diagnoser of BS, and valued learning, philosophy and history far more than those of us who lived by grades alone!!! He was a light to the larger world for me, and I am very sad he is gone.
Fun facts:
1. He could make his eyes (aka eyeballs) vibrate.
2. He mistakenly (?) shot a rubber band that hit the arm of our very inappropriately-dressed 8th grade math teacher (tight sleeveless knit turtlenecks, '50's swing skirt, flip-flop high heels). Needless to say, he was sent to the principal's office!
Kathy Kelly (Hanson)
My brother shared with me of Mike's death. He was one of my favorite people in high school, we went to lunch often and always laughed our butt's off. I'm sorry I didn't get to visit with him before he passed. I remember him fondly.
Stalker Reed
I also remember Mike as a very personable and funny guy. I always sought him out at reunions, but I was always disappointed. Surprised such a popular classmate was not an extrovert, at least not enough to join his admiring classmates.
I remember he could draw well, but if no one else does, perhaps I am conflating him with Rich Chidlaw. Surprised how sterile his obit was, suspect he would have rewritten it, given a chance.
Jeffrey Williams
In a class where wit was valued, he was among the wittiest. Sad to see him go. As a fellow lawyer, I only ran into him a time or two, but life can be like that.
Milton Barnes (Barnes)
... a force of nature from beginning to end!
Kathy Cook
Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly, but I thought he came to the 10 year reunion in a limo, spoofing the whole humble brag associated with those gatherings. I thought that was hilarious. I didn't know Mike well but I always appreciated his wry humor. In any case, cheers to his well lived life.
John Kekar