Mary Reilly Obituary, Death Cause – Mary Reilly, Nobber passed away this morning after a lengthy battle with illness, and Carnaross GFC has learned of her departure with a heavy heart this morning. During this trying time, we would like to offer Mary’s family our most heartfelt condolences. Mary, who was the mother of our current Children’s Officer, Colette Reilly, as well as the mother-in-law of John Larkin, who is the chairperson of the Juvenile Committee, and the much-loved grandmother of Aifric and club footballers Conor and Eoghan Larkin, will be deeply missed.Mary (DH’68) was the middle child of a family of six, including two older brothers, one younger brother, and two loving parents. She was born in eastern Ohio.
When Mary was three years old, her family uprooted and relocated to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, so that her father could take a job with the oil giant ARAMCO. ARAMCO was looking for Americans who were willing to take on the challenge and adventure of establishing a new life on the other side of the world. Mary’s father was one of these individuals. Her time was spent appreciating the straightforward aspects of life with her intimate circle of friends, who had a significant impact on the developing nature of her intellect. Her family took advantage of every possible opportunity to go on vacation that was available to them. The Middle East was at peace, providing a haven for the inquisitive mind that swiftly developed an appreciation for the extensive art and history that could be found right at her fingers.
Her visits to Switzerland, Nepal, Africa, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands were among her favorites. She also enjoyed traveling to Rome to see her brothers while they were finishing up their senior year of high school. She did it regularly, and always with the greatest affectionate and wistful sentiment, recalling these glorious times in her life. Mary’s passion for art was the impetus behind her decision to enroll at the Memphis Academy of Arts, from which she graduated with her first college degree. She went on to earn a second degree, this time in Education, from Memphis University after moving back to the United States to live with her family.
Mary and her family had a deep need to go back to Saudi Arabia, where they had lived a life that was distinctive, full of exciting experiences, and steeped in a rich cultural heritage. Despite the fact that Mary was following her ambition of studying art, Mary’s family missed the life they had led there. In 1973, Mary’s father went back to work for ARAMCO in Dhahran, where he had previously worked. This provided her with an unexpected opportunity to get back together with Ed Reilly (DH’69), a boy she had dated when they were in junior high school. After being married in 1977, they made the move to Fort Worth, Texas. Mary’s health problems started to become apparent not long after they were married. Her unusual and late diagnosis of Wilson’s disease became an important part of her life story, and with the help of appropriate treatment, she was able to continue living a full life with her husband Ed and their two children despite having the disease.
