Robert A. Reilly of Lanesborough passed away peacefully on Tuesday May 21, 2024. He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on February 26,1948, the son of the late Martin and Bernadette Reilly.

He attended parochial school and graduated in 1965 from Technical High School. After enlisting in the Army, he served as a medic in Japan. While there Rob became a member of the military judo team. The chairman of the U.S. Olympic Judo Committee at that time, referred to him as "one of the most skilled U.S. Army judo players stationed in Japan." Rob went on to attain the rank of 6th degree Black Belt and was inducted into the Judo Hall of Fame in the year 2000. He continued to compete until he became ill.

Upon his return to the United States, he was a member of the Army Reserve attaining the rank of major. Rob went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts and a master's degree from Springfield College, both in education. After teaching at Sacred Heart School in Springfield he attended Ohio State University. He also worked in the Education Department at the former North Adams State College as well as at BARC.

Rob was a well-loved teacher at Lanesborough Elementary School where he taught K-6 computing for 30 years. During his tenure there and at Hancock Elementary School, he was a founding director of K12 net, a worldwide dial-up- store- and- forward communication network preceding the internet.

It was during this time that he met his future wife Mary Garrity DeChaine, whom he married on August 14th,1992. Putting his educational pursuits on hold, he dutifully stood by her as she battled and recovered from breast cancer. Following Mary's recovery, Rob ultimately received a Doctor of Education Degree from the University of Massachusetts pertaining to computer pedagogy. Rob was a member of the IEEE Education Society serving on its board and as president emeritus. He traveled extensively in this capacity to such places as Tokyo, Dubai, Tunisia, India, Spain, and Egypt.

Rob was very civic minded, serving the Town of Lanesboro as moderator for 25 years and as chairman of the Police Advisory Board. Up until the time of his passing, he was a member of the Lanesborough Finance Committee, Lanesborough's representative to the BRTA and a school committee member at Charles H. McCann Technical School. In addition, he was a proud member of the MCLA Board of Trustees.

Rob was a devoted husband, stepfather, and grandfather, otherwise known as "Poppy". He leaves behind a family who loved, admired, and respected him. His wife, Mary Reilly, his stepsons, Jeffrey DeChaine (Jennifer) and Kevin DeChaine, as well as the lights of his life, his three beautiful granddaughters, Josephine, Julia, and Jillian DeChaine. He also leaves his loving sister, Christine Reilly, and her husband Jonathan Kroll of Sarasota, Florida. Rob was welcomed into both the DeChaine and Garrity families and together he and Mary shared 32 years of fun, family, friends, and adventure.

The family would like to thank Lanesborough Ambulance, the doctors and nurses at Berkshire Medical Center, Berkshire Visiting Nurses, the infusion nurses and staff at the Phelps Cancer Center, Mount Greylock Extended Care and HospiceCare in the Berkshires for all their help and support during Rob's courageous fight for life.

FUNERAL NOTICE: A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held, Thursday, May 30, 2024 at 10 a.m. at St. Charles Church. Burial with full military honors will follow at Mountain View Cemetery in Lanesborough. Calling hours will be held, Wednesday, May 29, 2024 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Dery Funeral Home, 54 Bradford St, Pittsfield, MA.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to MCLA Foundation Nursing Program; Jason Morris Judo Center; or the Robert Reilly Education Fund for the continuing education of his granddaughters. They may be mailed to Dery Funeral Home, 54 Bradford St, Pittsfield, MA 01201

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Published by The Berkshire Eagle on May 25, 2024.