Madeleine O'Reilly

Madeleine O'Reilly, age 92, of Bel Air, Maryland passed away on September 9, 2020 at Senator Bob Hooper House in Forest Hill, Maryland. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Kranz) Geoghan and wife of the late Robert Ward O'Reilly. Madeleine grew up in Miller Place, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. After graduating from Miller Place High School, she moved to New York City and worked in the Manhattan garment district. It is there her love for fashion and design began. Throughout her life she was an avid seamstress and studied design at the Maryland Institute of Art.

In the Spring of 1944 Madeleine was invited by a friend to attend a dance at the Naval Academy. A blind date was arranged, and she met Bob O’Reilly the man who would become her husband in December 1948. After a few years in Levittown PA, the O'Reilly’s settled in Fallston, MD in 1962 with their two young sons, Robert and Kevin. In 2016 Madeleine moved to Avondell in Bel Air, MD.

Raising a family of males, one might expect that her love for art and design would have been pushed aside, but it was not. She took art and design courses at Maryland Institute, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and Harford Community College. If there was a social event, she would disappear into her sewing room and emerge a few hours later with a new party dress. She sometimes made shirts and sports coats for the men in the family as well.

Travel was another of her loves. Bob and Madeleine enjoyed the adventures of Military Space Available travel to various countries in Europe. Over the years, they visited Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Greece, and Turkey, among other places. Eventually they became regular visitors to the Victory Club in London, England. Madeline may have visited every OxFam shop in England returning with various treasures.

Madeleine is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Robert and Fran O'Reilly and their daughter Aidan White and her husband Jake White, son and daughter-in-law Kevin and Pam O'Reilly, their children Carrie O’Reilly, Alex O’Reilly and his wife Arielle and their children Declan and Silas.

Those who desire may send contributions to: Senator Bob Hooper House c/o Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation, 520 Upper Chesapeake Drive, Suite 405, Bel Air, MD’ 21014.