TOM O'REILLY Sr.

1937 - 2020

Tom O'Reilly Sr. Tom O'Reilly Sr. passed away peacefully on June 9, 2020. He was born on May 3, 1937 in Chicago, IL before spending most of his youth in Waukegan and North Chicago, where he graduated from North Chicago High School in 1956. Tom was the devoted son of Kevin and Kathleen (Moran) O'Reilly and the brother of Kevin Jr. (Gerry) and Ellen (Slagle) O'Reilly, all of whom preceded him in death. He maintained a very close relationship with his cousins from both the O'Reilly and Moran sides of the family. Tom was an avid hunter and enthusiastic fisherman. His love for fishing carried on throughout his life, highlighted by annual excursions to Lake Erie with his buddies. He also favored taking hikes and took advantage of Lake County Illinois' hiking trails as often as he could. His life was enhanced by two long marriages. He met his first wife, Carol (Bellows) O'Reilly shortly after high school and they were wed on September 30, 1957. Together, they raised three children - Tom Jr., Patty (Popp), and John and the family resided in the Mundelein, Illinois area. During this time, Tom became involved in coaching youth sports and we were proud of his coaching contributions in the Mundelein Baseball Little League and Mundelein Youth Football programs. As his children grew, he became the happy grandfather to Justin Popp and Ryan and Mickey O'Reilly as well as father-in-law to Steve Popp and Mary O'Reilly (Tom Jr.). Tom's working career was with the United States Post Office. As an employee of the Northbrook P.O. his service began in 1960 and continued until his retirement in 1992. In 1982 he married Valerie (Coleman) O'Reilly. They enjoyed traveling and socializing with family, friends, and neighbors until Val's death in 2007. Tom will be fondly remembered as a hardworking man who always loved the friendship of others. In his later years, he worked part time as a floral delivery man, allowing this grandson of Irish immigrants an opportunity to meet people and bring something of joy to their lives. Due to the unfortunate circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, a memorial event will be limited to members of the immediate family. A larger celebration of Tom's life will take place when possible.