Lillian O’Reilly

In loving memory of our Mother, Lillian O’Reilly, who passed away just days prior to her 97th birthday.
She passed away on October 6, 2022, in Santa Barbara California. She lived a long, fullfilled life. Lillian was the Heart of our big extended family.
Lillian O’Reilly was born on October 16, 1925 in Astoria, New York to Julius and Lillian Scheideler. She was the youngest in her family which included her sister Kathryn and brother Stan. Lillian grew up on Long Island, New York and finished school at Huntington High School in 1942. After living and working in New York City for a short time she returned home to Huntington, New York to work as a Dental Assistant.

Summer weekends were often spent at the beach or taking trips to Shelter Island to relax. In 1948 she met Shelter Island native Thomas Bronson O’Reilly who was helping a friend tend bar at the hotel where Lillian and her friends would stay when visiting. After a 6 month courtship, Lillian and Brons (the name his family called him) married on February 27, 1949, at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church Rectory in Huntington New York.
Shortly after their wedding, they left on their honeymoon to Santa Barbara and a move to California.
During the first 10 years of their marriage they would move many times for Brons’ business and political aspirations. They lived in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Virginia, Washington DC, Massachusetts and Washington state. They had eight children during this time. The first five children were born on the East Coast and the last three children were born in Seattle Washington.
In February 1964, the family made their final move to Santa Barbara. They moved into a home near the Old Mission where they became members of the parish. They also were very involved in the local community.
Lillian was blessed with a warm, colorful spirit and great sense of humor. She loved her family and close friends all of whom admired her and greatly miss her.

There is a lovely poem that is so fitting for our Mom titled: “I Thought Of You With Love Today” by Leo Marks

“I thought of you with love today but that is nothing new.
I thought about you yesterday and days before that too.
I think of you in silence I often speak your name.
All I have are memories and your picture in a frame.
Your memory is my keepsake with which I’ll never part.
God has you in his keeping I have you in my heart.”

Lillian was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas O’Reilly, her sister Kathryn O’Riordan and great grandson Dominic. She is survived by her older brother Stan, her children Kevin (Jean), Maureen (Murray), Colleen, Shannon (Ninoska), Rory (Laura), Tara (Larry), Siobhan (Ron), and Cathlin (Peter), her 20 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. Lillian also leaves behind her very dear friends who were like family to her.

In Lillian’s memory, donations can be made to Direct Relief. https://www.directrelief.org
https:/donate.directrelief.org/give/406660/#!/donation/checkout