Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly

Meriden, NH - Kevin O'Reilly, 78, of Meriden, New Hampshire, passed away on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

Kevin was born on June 2, 1947, in Brighton, Massachusetts, to Daniel and Mary O'Reilly. Raised in Arlington, Massachusetts with his brothers Daniel and Joseph ("Bud"), he attended Arlington High School, where he competed in track. He then went on to the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a track scholarship. While there, he served as president of his fraternity, Phi Sigma Delta, building relationships that would span decades. He graduated in 1969.

After college, Kevin served in the United States Army Reserve for two years. He later moved to Boston, where he earned his MBA from Suffolk University in 1977 and founded his real estate firm, Bailey-O'Reilly Associates, in the Back Bay. Shortly after, he met Margaret (Peggy) Pallatroni in 1978, and they were married in 1984.

In the early 1980s, Kevin left his real estate practice to pursue his true passion: harness horse racing. He moved to Newbury, Massachusetts, where he operated Sea Horse Stable. He and his team, quite successfully, bred and trained race horses up and down the East Coast for years.

In 1985, drawn to the scenic beauty of New Hampshire, Kevin moved his family (and several retired horses) to Enfield, where he purchased the La Salette property and developed his signature real estate project, Lower Shaker Village. Envisioning a lakeside community of single-family homes, Kevin spent the next 40 years overseeing the development and management of the neighborhood, which continues to thrive today on Mascoma Lake.

Kevin eventually settled in Meriden, where he and Peggy raised their two sons, Ian and Evan. Athletics remained a constant throughout his life: he coached the track and basketball teams at Plainfield School for many years, ran road races most weekends, and later became a champion powerlifter with the CCBA, earning a world record in his age and weight class in 2018. He was a voracious reader and enjoyed time on his farm with his family, caring for the land, animals and the people he loved.

Kevin is survived by his wife, Peggy; his sons, Ian and Evan; and his brother, Dan. He was predeceased by his parents, Daniel and Mary, and his brother, Joe.

The family will hold a small private service in early June.

Please visit the online guestbook at www.rickerfuneralhome.com.