WNC announces James Kiley Memorial Scholarship

For James Patrick Kiley, family, friends, education and aviation consumed his 85-year life.

All of his life was spent in Nevada, excluding a year that he dedicated to professional educational training at the Graduate School Institute for Counselors at the University of Minnesota.

It was a life shaped early by growing up as a hard-working son of a miner and living in various small communities throughout Northern Nevada. The rugged and nomadic lifestyle meant Kiley and his family’s homes often had no running water or electricity.

But what he could always count on were his family’s love and his absolute devotion to education. That is why two years after Kiley’s passing, longtime spouse, Sheilla, started a scholarship in his name with Western Nevada College Foundation.

“Education of every kind was amazing to him,” Sheilla said. “He was in education his whole adult life, and that is why I wanted to start a scholarship honoring him.”

Complementing the education Kiley received was the incredible work ethic he developed. As a youngster, he raised rabbits to sell. When he was 13 and living in Hawthorne, he was hired as a custodian for Hawthorne Primary School. He also took on construction jobs in the summer and early in his marriage to Sheilla, he maintained a newspaper route that took him on remote roads outside of Reno.

“He was so dedicated with everything he did. He tried for perfection. He didn’t always make it, but he was pretty darn close,” Sheilla said. “He always worked hard at every job he had and always said, ‘Never back up to a paycheck!’”

Education began for Kiley in of all places — a one-room schoolhouse — in Dayton. Grades 1-4 learned on the west side of the room, while Grades 5-8 were taught on the east side. The bathroom was located outside.

“The school is still there, now a well-cared-for museum,” Sheilla said. “His memories of Dayton included swimming in the Carson River in the summer; and in the winter, his dog would pull his sled on the frozen Carson River.” He also enjoyed hunting for birds and deer with his dad.

But his boyhood interests didn’t deter him from excelling in school. By the time he neared the end of his high school education, he was immersed in more than his classes. He became a leader, attending Boys State following his junior year at Mineral County High School in Hawthorne and was student body president his senior year.

Naturally, Sheilla has many cherished memories from the long life they shared. They met and became sweethearts in high school. They became engaged as seniors and were married after their first year at the University of Nevada, Reno. Sheilla’s mother, a home economics teacher, respected and loved Jim.

“He never complained,” Sheilla said. “I was a terrible cook when we first got married; again, he never complained.”

After graduating from UNR, Jim went to work for Ormsby County School District as a science teacher at Carson High School.

“He loved his new job,” Sheilla recalled. “Because of the new Nevada Department of Education, Carson High School was able to purchase an aquarium, a lot of clear units for raising plants, reptiles and a Venus Fly Trap. There were displays that Jim and his students took care of all around the classroom, and students would bring in specimens for display.”

Sheilla and the family accompanied Jim to Minnesota for his graduate school training so he could become a high school counselor. Upon returning to his beloved state, Jim became a counselor at Carson High School.

In the years that followed, he became an evaluator of existing educational programs around the state as an employee of the Nevada Department of Education. In this role he routinely shared ideas with teachers to provide the best outcomes for students. Sheilla and Jim were also focused on raising three daughters.

With his educational leadership skills, Jim became coveted for a larger role in Lovelock. He was hired as the Superintendent of Schools for Pershing County in 1977, requiring his oversight and direction of schools in Lovelock, Imlay, Grass Valley, Unionville, Oreana and Rye Patch.

“Over time and with the help of an amazing school board, they succeeded in passing a bond to build a new elementary school, a new high school gymnasium and add on to Imlay Elementary,” recounted Sheilla, who was an elementary school teacher for 20 years. “They built the first computer lab in the high school and a computer lab for the elementary school.”

In 1993, Jim was honored as Nevada’s Superintendent of the Year, capping his education career.

“While he was in education, it changed dramatically,” Sheilla said. “He loved to learn, and he loved doing new things.”

One of his newfound joys later in life was learning how to fly. He became a pilot and purchased a plane. But family was priority No. 1.

“Upon retiring and returning to Carson City to be close to our growing family, we embarked on wonderful travel opportunities,” Sheilla said. “He was a good man, an honest man, a man who earned the respect of many.”

Now, Sheilla can help future WNC education students pursue their passion in Jim’s name.