Obituary: Barbara O’Reilly

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Barbara O’Reilly
Barbara O’Reilly

MIDDLEBURY — Mrs. Barbara O’Reilly, of Middlebury and formerly of Naugatuck, devoted mother of seven children and beloved grandmother of 19 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, passed away on March 6, 2016 in the VITAS Innovative Hospice Unit at St. Mary’s Hospital surrounded by her loving family.

Mrs. O’Reilly was born in Philadelphia, Pa., a daughter of the late Arthur and Edna (Bulger) Madison and grew up in New York, graduating from the Fontbonne Hall and Katherine Gibbs. She worked at the National Broadcasting Company in New York City as the executive secretary to the manager of station relations. She was married to Bill O’Reilly for 25 years, who was an attorney and consultant for Bavier, Bulger & Goodyear. Upon moving to Naugatuck in 1955, she worked for the Town of Naugatuck, first as secretary to the principal of Salem School, and in 1974 she was appointed assistant town clerk for the Borough of Naugatuck and she served in that capacity until her retirement. She also enjoyed working as a real estate agent and was a communicant of St. John of the Cross Church. Her biggest joy in life, however, was her seven children and her grandchildren, all of whom she treasured.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband, William G. O’Reilly and her brother, Arthur C. Bulger.

Barbara is survived by her seven loving children, their husbands and children, Madalyn Shove and her husband Ken and their children, Megan and Michael; Dr. William O’Reilly and his wife Alice and their children, Michael and Matthew; Michael O’Reilly and his wife Cheryl and their children, Shannon and Daniel; Susan Fitzpatrick and her husband Ned and their children, Kelly, Timothy and Kyle; Kathleen O’Reilly and her children, Kerry, Shealene, Ryan, Jaime and Leah; Maureen Wisner and her husband Douglas and their children, Melissa, Jeffrey and Stephen; Patricia Dillon and her husband Richard and their children, Katelyn and Jennifer.

She will be lovingly remembered by her sisters, Kay Lynch, Maryellen Territo and her husband Sal; her sisters-in-law, Isabelle Bulger and Helen O’Reilly; her cousin, Joan Bauer and her many nieces and nephews.

Barbara will always be remembered for her love of life and neighbor. She had a great sense of humor and loved being with people. Barbara was deeply religious and was always an example of faith, hope and love. She had a special devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary, “Undoer of Knots.” Always ready for a party, Barbara felt that life should be celebrated. St. Patrick’s Day will certainly be a grand celebration in heaven this year. Barbara was very active in her community and served on the Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament Committee for 16 years, helping to raise over one million dollars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She was an avid UConn and Giants football fan.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, March 10, 2016 at 11 a.m. at St. John of the Cross Church, 1263 West St., Middlebury. Burial will follow in St. James Cemetery, Naugatuck. There are no calling hours and arrangements have been entrusted to the Buckmiller Thurston Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Ave., Naugatuck.

In lieu of flowers to honor Barbara’s memory, contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, CT Chapter, 101 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 107, Middletown, CT 06457, or to Research to Prevent Blindness, 360 Lexington Ave., 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10017.

To leave an online condolence, visit www.buckmillerthurstonmengacci.com.