Elea Riney and James Riney
children of
Sgt. Douglas J. Riney
The Corporal Christopher Kelly Willis Foundation’s 2025 Scholarship Recipients are Elea Riney and James Riney.
Elea and James are the family of American hero, Sgt. Douglas J. Riney, and Kylie Riney. Through the generosity of our corporate sponsors and individual sponsors, Elea and James will each receive a future-use college scholarship intended to cover the entire unmet needs of their college tuition and expenses.
Sgt. Douglas J. Riney, 26, of Fairview, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, died on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, of wounds received after encountering hostile enemy forces in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was born on July 29, 1990 at Fort Stewart Army base in Georgia, a son of Dave and Pam Chabotte Riney. He married the love of his life, Kylie Eddy on December 29, 2012 in Farmington. She survives.
Also surviving are his two beautiful children, Elea and James Riney both at home. His father, Dave (Kristie) Riney of Canton; his mother, Pam (Don) Boland of Galesburg; his siblings, Jeff Budd, and his daughter Cailee Budd both of Galesburg; Stacey (Ashley Ayers) Budd of Canton, two step-brothers, Bryce and Kole Vaughn both of Canton; one step-sister, Ashlie Herrin of Canton; paternal grandmother, Nancy Riney, of London Mills, maternal grandmother, Linda Huntley of Connecticut; several aunts and uncles and many cousins, his mother and father-in-law, Randal (Donna) Eddy of Farmington, and two sister-in-laws, Brandi Eddy of Farmington, Janel (Doug) Brown and their children Kambell, Payton, Avari, Asher McDermet, and Kinsley Brown all of Canton.
Riney entered active-duty service in July of 2012 as a petroleum supply specialist and was last assigned to the Support Squadron, 3rd Calvary Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas since December 2012. He had previously deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from July 2014 to February 2015, and also deployed from June 2016 to October in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, four Army Achievements Medals, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon and NATO Medal.
He was a graduate of Spoon River Valley High School, member of the Vintage Church in Texas, a proud volunteer firefighter of the Fairview Fire Department, avid Green Bay Packers Football Fan, a BMX bicycle rider with many awards and trophies, avid motorcycle rider and loved to hunt and fish.
