Kyle Riker Kyle Riker was a male Human from Alaska , North America , Earth , in the 24th century . He worked as a civilian strategic attaché to Starfleet , specializing in the frontier regions . He was well - known in his field throughout Starfleet , having a reputation for being " hard as nails " and " getting the job done . " Kyle Riker ' s only child , Starfleet officer William T . Riker , was born in 2335 . Two year s later , Kyle and William suffered a devastating loss when Kyle ' s wife Betty Riker died suddenly . This initial trauma created a rift between the two Rikers which lasted nearly thirty years . The Rikers remained in Alaska at Betty ' s wish . The only thing which kept Kyle going was Will , but he did not feel as if he could discuss the situation with him , even when Will was older . The memories of Betty ' s presence at their Alaska home were also painful for both . ( ) Never being able to know Betty while growing up , everything her son Will knew about her was taken from pictures and the stories Kyle told their son ; stories Will begged his father to tell , over and over . In 2340 , when Will was five years old and started school , he began to tell his new friends the same stories about his mother that his father told him , as if she was still alive . Eventually , he told the stories about her so often , he began to believe them , and that she had just gone away but was coming back . Soon , his teacher learned of this problem , and both she and Kyle had to talk to Will and make him realize that his mother was dead and she was not coming back . In his mind , that was the day his mother actually died . Will cried the entire night following , but later realized it was an important step in accepting his mother ' s death . ( ) Kyle hated cooking , and after Betty ' s death he left the duty to Will . ( ) Riker had a recipe for split pea soup , which his son Will enjoyed . ( ) In 2344 , the two went on a fishing trip . Will was able to hook a large fish , but Kyle insisted on reeling the fish in . This incident would bother Will for many years . Kyle and his son also played anbo - jyutsu occasionally . Kyle admitted that by the time Will was twelve , his skills were superior . Will did not learn until years later that the only reason he always lost was because his father used an illegal move called " hachidan kiritsu " . In 2350 , Kyle suffered an emotion al breakdown and abandoned his son ; they would not speak to one another again for another fifteen years . He later became involved with Doctor Katherine Pulaski , who said that she would have married him were it not for that Riker had " other priorities . " ( ) In 2353 , Kyle was a civilian strategist advising Starfleet in its conflict with the Tholian s at a starbase . The Tholians attacked the starbase , killing everyone except Kyle , who " alone had the will to endure , to face the pain , to live . " After he recovered from his wounds , Kyle worked at Tokyo Base , where he helped work out the Fuurinkazan battle strategies . Then , he was asked to come to Starbase Montgomery , where he would work as a tactical advisor to Starfleet . Kyle and his son were reunited in 2365 when Will , now first officer on the , was offered command of the and Kyle came aboard the " Enterprise " to brief Will on the " Aries " and its current mission . Though Will ultimately turned down command of the " Aries " , he and Kyle took the opportunity to finally settle their differences . ( ) In 2361 Kyle Riker was given another son when William Riker was duplicated in a transporter accident creating Thomas Riker , though no one was aware of his existence until 2369 . Soon after learning of Thomas Riker ' s existence , William Riker noted that they should tell their father . ( )