Lilly, David M. (David Maher), 1917-

David Maher Lilly was born in St. Paul on June 14, 1917, the son of Richard Coyle and Rachel (Cunningham) Lilly. He received a bachelor's degree in economics from Dartmouth College in 1939, and served as a major in the U.S. Army during World War II (1942-1945).

In 1945 he went to work for Toro Manufacturing Corporation (later known as the Toro Company), a Minneapolis-based manufacturer of lawn mowers, garden tractors, snow throwers, and similar equipment. He served as vice president, general manager, and treasurer [to ca.1949]; president [ca.1950-ca.1968]; and as chairman of the board of directors [ca.1969-1976]. Lilly retired from Toro in 1976, but apparently rejoined the board around 1978.

Lilly served as a member of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System (1976-1978), dean of the University of Minnesota School of Management (1978-1983), and as the university's vice president for finance and operations (1983-1988). He served as Minnesota Republican State Central Committee treasurer (1963-1966), and as chairman of the Minnesota Republican State Finance Committee (1966-1968). He was on the boards of several major Twin Cities corporations, and was a member of the Carleton College Board of Trustees until 1992.

Lilly married Perrin Brown on December 5, 1946. The couple had three children: David Maher, Bruce Austin, and Susanne Brown Lilly.