Timothy Reilly ‘82

September 06, 2011

Telephone, Telegraph, or Tell Tim

If anyone ever lived the life of Tim Reilly, it was the fast-talking, hard-dealing, charming and quintessential New Yorker. He enjoyed life to the quick - he smoked, he drank and loved being in the thick of family activity, which included five siblings and 48 first cousins.

Beneath the tough-as-nails exterior, however, lived a heart of gold. He prided himself on being the family telegraph and in the know of every bit of gossip. "He took this job seriously and was crushed if someone learned anything before him," says his uncle, Thomas Hughes '53.

A native of suburban New York, Tim made his post-college home in Brooklyn, "a nice place to visit, a great place to live," he often quipped, quoting the borough's welcoming sign. His base there was his late grandmother's apartment, 20years later, still outfitted with her furnishings. Tim shared this flat with a number of roommates, including his sister, Maureen; friends from high school and college, and other friends.

"He loved that apartment, and he loved Brooklyn," notes Maureen, explaining why a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge graces the home page www.timreilly.com, a web site she created in his honor. Here, family, friends and acquaintances have recorded stories, thoughts and remembrances of this very memorable man. They range from the hilarious to the poignant, but all reflect one image of Tim Reilly: a man who loved life and loved his family.

Tim was a vice president at Marsh & McLellan at the World Trade Center for many years. "I'm not really sure what he did," confesses Maureen. "He never talked about work because it wasn't who he was. It was just what he did. He was the mayor. He was the center of the family, the toastmaster of every occasion and the glue that held us together. Though he was no saint, he fits every cliché of living life to the fullest. And he got away with everything."

Conjecturing on how Tim would have wished to spend his last days, his siblings conclude he would have wanted to play a round of golf and spend time with his family. He did both the weekend before Sept. 11.

"This profile originally appeared in the Spring 2002 edition of Stonehill Alumni Magazine."

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