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John E. Reilly
1942 - 2018
John E. Reilly
1942 - 2018
Obituary
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BORN
1942
DIED
2018
John Reilly Obituary
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Adam Wrublewski
August 30, 2018
Dear Mary Ann and family - Our deepest sympathy - John was one my best friends. We knew each other for over sixty years. We grew up together in the same neighborhood in Elizabeth NJ. We graduated from the same Thomas Jefferson High School. John married Mary Ann who lived across the street from me on Kenneth Avenue. Both of us were US Air Force pilots stationed at Westover AFB in MA. We deployed many times to southeast Asia during Vietnam. We flew many combat missions together in cell formation missions during our deployment. John was always a people person who always trying to do the right thing! We kept in touch with John and Mary Ann thru the years and watched their wonderful family grow. We visited with them several times in Punta Gorda after their retirement. John - God bless you and your family always! Rest in peace in the arms of the Lord - Frank and Rita
Marc Pandeloglou
July 28, 2018
Very sad news indeed. I had the privilege & good fortune to work with John as he entered his 3rd aviation career with the FAA. John was more than a get it done kinda guy. He was also the consumate people person. He will be dearly missed by many of us. Heartfelt condolences to his surviving family & loved ones.
Maggie Koller
July 27, 2018
I was saddened to hear of Colonel Reilly's passing. I was in the 732nd MAS when he was the Commander of the 335th MAS. He was always involved and concerned about all the folks. Rest in Peace, Sir.
Tony Vecchiolla
July 25, 2018
I was extremely sorry to hear of John Reillys passing. The Reillys were my neighbors for the majority of my youth. Mr. Reilly had a significant influence on my life. Whether he knew it or not, he was a mentor that shaped the person I am today. The news of his passing brought back a flood of memories from my childhood. Indulge me please as I want to share a few.
Back when I was a Cub Scout, our troop had an outing at McGuire Air Force Base. I am not sure how it all came about, but Mr. Reilly was one of our chaperones that day. We got to go into the control tower which was really neat for a young kid. But, that was only a primer. Neil Armstrong was at McGuire that day. Mr. Reilly had us all on the tarmac and told us Neil Armstrong would be taking off for home soon. I had my Kodak Instamatic camera with me and I told him I would take Mr. Armstrongs picture as he took off. Mr. Reilly smiled at me and told me to be ready. Once he hits the afterburner he would be gone he said. Well, I followed Mr. Armstrong down the runway and when he took off, I snapped his photo. I had to wait until the photo came back from processing but I got a near perfect photo of him with his plane nearly in the center of the photograph. I showed it to Mr. Reilly and I think that was one if not the only time I impressed him. Read his obituary again if you wonder why I think impressing him is memorable.
A few years later when I was in the Civil Air Patrol, we had a week at McGuire AFB that was similar to a boot camp. I was 13. I remember getting to shoot an M16 on the firing range. I also got to ride in a C-130 and a C-141 that week. Mr. Reilly was the pilot of that C-141 mission. I remember being so proud (and safe) that my next-door neighbor was flying the plane that so many cadets from NJ were experiencing. To this day when I am flying and the going gets tough I think, boy I wish Mr. Reilly was up front.
Another time when I was a bit older I was playing my music at a very high volume (Bostons first album I believe). Thinking back, I am sure most of our neighborhood was listening. Between songs, I heard knocking at my door. It was Mr. Reilly and he was not happy. He laid into me about the noise, so I turned it down. Later that day, we spoke again. For me, it was like nothing happened. Even later, Mr. Reilly apologized to me. He said something like I wasnt very nice, and you spoke to me like nothing ever happened. Thinking back to that now he had every right to be angry, but he felt the need to apologize to a snot-nose kid that was being an idiot. Why do I remember that? That is the character of the man, the man that influenced me.
I could go on and on. As I said in the beginning, a flood of memories from my youth. My final thoughts:
Mr. Reilly,
It is an honor and pleasure to know you and that will never change. Thank you feels weak here but its all I have so thank you for all you did for me. Rest in peace old friend. You can do so with the assurance that the mark you levee behind will not soon be forgotten.
Tony
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George Kingston
July 20, 2018
Mary Ann and family: Ann and I send our sincere prayers and condolences with the passing of John. He was pleasant yet effective in his leadership. I will be forever grateful for his positive influence on my career. We regret not being able to attend his Mass but will remember him in our prayers. Warm regards, George
Finn Neilsen
July 20, 2018
I was quite saddened to hear of Johns untimely death. I hope your family will accept my most sincere sympathy and condolence. I had the utmost respect for you and valued our friendship greatly. It is difficult to accept you are no longer with us.
USAFR
Danny Doherty
July 19, 2018
God bless you my friend, you were a fine human being and patriot. I enjoyed our times together with family.
JOHN Mc Intyre
July 19, 2018
It was an honor and a pleasure to serve under J.R. in command of the 335th Squadron
Bruce Lasch
July 19, 2018
I was very sorry to read about the passing of a great individual that I had the pleasure of working with during the late 1970's at McGuire AFB, NJ. I was a young 1Lt on active duty going through some rough times both personally and professionally on active duty. I applied to become a member of the 335th as a pilot and was told I would be interviewed by then Major John Reilly. I was not as qualified as most other pilots leaving active duty so I was not as confident about being accepted into the unit as many of my peers were when they went for their interview. Major Reilly did his "homework" on me prior to the interview and immediately put me to ease when the interview began. It was a tough interview and I deserved every tough question he asked me. I was accepted into the unit and was especially pleased when I arrived at the unit that Major Reilly knew that I had been promoted to captain and he welcomed Capt Lasch to the 335. One of my happiest days in the unit was when I flew with John and was able to tell him that I was hired by United as a pilot and that I felt the interview he had me go through to get into the 335th helped me a great deal in answering questions at my many interviews for the position at United. He smiled as if he knew that before I told him.
I lost touch with my friends at the 335th many years ago. Due to the loss of another friend from so many years ago and my inquiries about LtCol Meachem's passing Col Kyle added me to the 335th email list so that is how I found out about John's passing. Since receiving these 335th emails I was hoping to one day run into John to say once again "THANK YOU for giving me a chance so many years ago. I had a successful career at United and you helped me get there". I think that once again John would have the same smile he had back in 1979 as if to say he already knew that.
Sincerely
Bruce Lasch
Capt United Airlines, ret
Bruce Edwards
July 19, 2018
John was a squadron mate and a fellow TWA pilot. He understood that to achieve his best he must give his best to those he served and require the best from those he commanded. He did both and was admired and respected for it. A job well done, John. Rest in peace.
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635 E Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda, FL 33950
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