GRAND FORKS – As a student at St. James High School in the 1960s, Mike Deraney was always sketching in class, his classmates say.
After high school graduation, Deraney went on to earn a master’s degree in education and art at the University of Minnesota. He started his teaching career in special education in the Minneapolis area and left in 1978 to pursue his passion for art in New York City. There, he worked as a freelance artist, illustrating several children’s books. “Yussel’s Prayer: A Yom Kippur Story,” by Barbara Cohen, won the 1983 National Jewish Book Award for best picture book.
Several of Deraney’s classmates were not surprised at his success as an artist.
“Mike sat behind me and was always doodling,” Sue Rudh Riley, of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, remembered.
Contributed
After Deraney died in December, Riley and her classmates — Cathy Mercil Miller, Devils Lake; Cheryl Hagen and Sue Keogh Helten, Grand Forks; and Jean Moe Hartl, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota — wanted to donate some of the books, which he illustrated, to honor his memory. They also want to share his remarkable talent with others.
They have donated six books — four children’s books and two cookbooks — to the Grand Forks Public Library.
Other books he illustrated include “Warm in Winter,” by Erica Silverman; “Molly’s Pilgrim” and “The Secret Grove,” both by Barbara Cohen; and “Pot Belly Tales,” by Mary Haynes.
Contributed
The donated books are not shelved yet but they are available, upon request, in the children’s department on the library’s second floor.
Contributed
The children’s books “are so timeless,” said Riley. “They were written in the ’80s, but they are so applicable to right now.”
His books “are about being kind,” Miller said. “(They) are perfect for today’s world.”
Contributed
Deraney, who grew up in Grand Forks as one of eight children of Shirley and Arthur Deraney in a well-known family of Lebanese descent, “was talented with artistry, but also was an entrepreneur,” said Jean Moe Hartl.
After settling in New York, when friends visited his apartment, Deraney would make pies for them, said Miller. “(They) had never had homemade pies like that.”
He may have picked up the idea from his mother, who made pies for friends, Miller said.
Contributed
Deraney opened and managed The Little Pie Company of the Big Apple, which became “quite famous in New York City,” and was featured in a segment on The Today Show, she said.
In the forward to his cookbook, “The Little Pie Company of the Big Apple: Pies and Other Dessert Favorites,” actress Angela Lansbury wrote, “I became hooked on The Little Pie Company before I stepped foot in the door,” Miller said.
In 1998, Deraney wasn’t able to attend the 30th reunion of the St. James High School Class of 1968, but he did update his classmates about his activities. He shared that he designed and started up small businesses, including three American gourmet bakeshops and a health food store.
He returned to Minneapolis in 2007 and continued to teach until his retirement in 2013.
When his classmates think about Deraney, who died in December in Minneapolis at age 71, they have fond memories, they said.
“He grew up with Midwestern values,” said Miller, and Riley added, “He had a really good sense of humor.”
Contributed
He had “a really warm smile — and was a little mischievous,” said Cheryl Hagen.
“He was such a nice guy; everybody liked him,” said Riley, who has purchased more of his books for her nephews. “They remind me of the Little Golden Books we had as kids; they’re just wonderful.”
The 105 or so 1968 graduates of St. James, which closed in 1970, have stayed in touch over the years, she said. “We are still very connected.”
