Obituary of Deacon Thomas J. Reilly

Deacon Thomas (Tom) Joseph Reilly, 74, of Huntington Station, New York, passed away, on December 13, 2017 in the comfort of his home surrounded by his wife, children, and family following a valiant four year battle with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Tom was born on October 8, 1943, to Loretta (Larkin) and James Reilly in Rockville Centre and the youngest of five children. Having lost his mother at the age of six, and being raised by his siblings, Tom overcame early childhood challenges to become a successful executive at Long Island’s grocery chain, King Kullen, where he remained for his forty-three year career. Tom started his career at King Kullen collecting carts and bagging groceries. He quickly rose through the ranks of the organization to become a store manager followed by district manager. In addition, Tom went on to hold senior management positions as assistant director of personnel and labor relations and retired as vice president of group operations. Tom was also instrumental in the development of another successful specialty retail food business, Wild By Nature Corporation, where he was President of the company. 

Tom’s life was made whole when at the age of 16 he met his future soulmate and best friend, Margherita. They married in 1962 and together have lived a life filled with love and adornment for one another which in turn created many blissful memories.  Tom’s life was grounded not only by his wife and family, but also his spiritual belief in God. From his earliest childhood memories of weekly rosary prayer sessions with his family, Tom’s educational studies included attending Catholic grammar, middle and high school. He was a devout Christian and always believed there was a special calling for his relationship with God.  Tom along with Margherita, were active members in their parish, St. Hugh of Lincoln Roman Catholic Church in Huntington Station, including the Pre-Cana program, Baptismal program, and both Extraordinary Ministers. Tom furthered his Christian calling in 1989 by being admitted into the Diaconate Formation program of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and was ordained as a Catholic Deacon in 1993. Following Tom’s retirement from King Kullen in 2004, Tom filled his days continuing to give back to his community and church.  He served as Business Manager for St. Hugh Parish and was considered “the man to get things done”, including overseeing the latest Parish renovation and initiating and managing St. Hugh’s annual charity golf outing. His outreach of giving back also included his involvement with the St. Vincent DePaul Society Bethpage Council where he served on the Board of Directors. Tom’s passion continued in his involvement with St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, in which he served as Chairman of the Board and Trustee and Secretary of the Catholic Health Services Eastern Region. This region was comprised of Good Samaritan Hospital, St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, and St. Charles Hospital.

Tom’s life was not just filled with work, being a Deacon, and being involved with the many organizations that he gave back to. He always found time for his beloved wife, children, grandchildren, and family.  During their 55 years together, Tom and Margherita enjoyed many wonderful memories traveling. However, nothing was better than traveling to their favorite vacation spot, Italy. They ventured there more than a dozen times, where they even celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary. Tom loved the outdoors where he spent time with Margherita tending to the yard and garden. Growing up he had a passion for basketball and cars, as well as the New York Giants football team. He enjoyed golf, which initially got his interest when he was a young teenage caddy. Tom very much enjoyed playing golf in his retirement days with his sons, at charity events, and with his dear friends.

Thomas is survived by his loving wife and best friend, Margherita (Grauso) of 55 years; son Gerald and his wife, Suzanne of Huntington Station; son Joseph and his wife, Debra of Ipswich, Massachusetts; daughter Melissa and her husband, Bruce Ellard of Norwalk, Connecticut; his sister Patricia O’Keeffe of Greenlawn; four wonderful grandchildren, Kayla, Victoria, Lindsay and Shannon; and many wonderful nieces and nephews.

Family and friends may call on Thomas, Saturday, December 16,^, 2017 between 7:00PM – 9:00PM, Sunday from 2:00PM – 4:00PM and 7:00PM – 9:00PM at the M.A. Connell Funeral Home Inc., 934 New York Avenue, Huntington Station, New York. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, December 18, 2017, 10:45AM at St. Hugh of Lincoln RC Church, 21 East 9^th Street, Huntington Station, New York. Interment will follow at St. Charles / Resurrection Cemetery, Farmingdale, New York.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests either a donation to St. Hugh of Lincoln RC Church or a donation to support cancer research in Thomas Reilly’s memory to support Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Checks, made payable to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, should be mailed to: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Attn: Emily Carter, 885 Second Ave, 7th Fl., New York, NY 10017. Please indicate on the check that the gift is in memory of Thomas Reilly.