It was 50/50 announcing business as usual for John Riley on the last night of the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair. It was also his 69th birthday.

Someone got a hold of the mic that’s usually always in Riley’s hands and announced that the birthday on Saturday.

So, Monday’s Retro Pic(s) of the Day is dedicated to Riley.

Riley is pretty modest. And he looks exactly the same as he did back in the early 1970s when this editor first met him during her childhood.

Riley has been a lifetime Fair Havenite and a decades-long member of the Fair Haven Fire Department. He also worked in the borough’s Department of Public Works seemingly forever.

He always has a smile on his face. He wears his modest, gentle demeanor and love of hometown on his sleeve and in his eyes.

Happy Birthday, John Riley! Thank you for all you’ve done for the love of Fair Haven!

— Elaine Van Develde