Paul M. Rahilly

Rahilly, Paul M. of Lexington, July 14, 2024. Beloved husband of Janet K. Rahilly (Monafo). Loving father of John J. Rahilly and his wife Jakki Kerubo of Brooklyn, NY, and Lucia Rahilly and her husband Bob Mertz, also of Brooklyn, NY. Devoted brother of Sean Rahilly of Sedgwick, ME. Paul is also survived by 3 grandchildren-Alexandra, Oscar, and Esme-and numerous nieces and nephews.
Paul Rahilly was a nationally renowned painter whose artwork has been exhibited in galleries and museums in Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and elsewhere across the United States. Born in Boston in 1933, Paul was raised in a three-decker in the Fields Corner neighborhood of Dorchester. After graduating from Tufts with a degree in mechanical engineering, he embarked on a career designing jet engines for Pratt & Whitney. In 1960, he decided to pursue painting full-time and moved to New York City to study at the Art Students League, then traveled through Spain and Morocco painting en plein air. In 1966, he returned to Boston to marry the artist Janet Monafo and start a family. He later earned an MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Over more than six decades, Paul developed a distinctive style of oil painting celebrated for vibrant and expressive brushwork, bold color, and unique and complex composition. His watercolors were also painted with great sensitivity and arresting transparent color. His paintings have been widely collected privately and by institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University; the Greenville Museum of Art, North Carolina; the Boston Public Library Watercolor Collection; Northeastern University; and others. Paul was also a devoted teacher for more than 50 years, including at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and at many other art schools in and around Boston. His work and mentorship inspired generations of students and prominent artists worldwide.
A celebration of Paul's life and work will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln, where Paul received excellent care in his final days.