Marilou E. Reilly

Marilou E. Reilly of Washington, D.C., and native of New York City, New York, passed away on December 24, 2018. The daughter of Louisa and Thomas Reilly Sr., she was born on April 5, 1950. She is survived by nine loving brothers and sisters: Elizabeth, Thomas, Celesta (Fahey), Eugene, Patrick, Christina, John, Anthony and Bernard, thirteen nieces and nephews, and twenty great-nieces and nephews (though, it should be said, even her regular nieces and nephews found her to be pretty great.)  She was preceded in death by her brother Charles, Sister in-law Lisa and brother Joseph.

Marilou took great pride in her work and educational pursuits. In her career she worked at The Washington Post, was Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of the Interior where she was involved in the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island restoration projects, and was the Assignment Editor for National Parks Magazine. Most recently she was a Central Access Group Liaison at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. As of September, she also completed an Associate’s Degree in Arts Business Administration.

Although Marilou loved to travel, she never planned to move away from Washington, D.C. because, as lover of arts and music, she “could never live somewhere without a direct bus line to the Kennedy Center.”  She was fond of men and cats but had an easier time finding cats worth her attention. She was an extremely generous gift giver and even more generous with her time. Friends and family valued her unique talent for selecting personalized gifts, especially during the holidays, as well as her passion for cooking. At large family gatherings, she would take charge of the kitchen and enlist help from anyone within earshot.

Marilou was extremely independent, thoughtful, opinionated, and loving. She had a great sense of humor and justice. She was deeply loved, she will be dearly missed and fondly remembered.

A celebration of our sister Marilou’s life will be held on Saturday March 2, 2019 from 2:p.m. until  services begin at 3:p.m. at Molesworth-Williams P.A. Funeral Home 26401 Ridge Rd. Damascus, Md. 20872. Inurnment will be private

Online condolences may be sent through this website.molesworthwilliams.com

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