Richard John Reilly

Richard "Rick" Reilly, aged 65, of Houston, Texas unexpectedly passed away peacefully on Tuesday August 1, 2023.

Richard, known as "Rick'' by most, or more affectionately "Rilo" by those who knew him best, was born  December 24, 1957, in Brockton Massachusetts.  Richard  grew up with sister Debbie and raised by paternal grandparents,  "Gug" and "Nan" in Abington, MA. , where he graduated class of 1975 from Abington High School.

He moved to Houston, Texas in 1981, with childhood friend Robert "Bob" Delaney, where he established roots, began his career and started a family.

He is survived by his children; daughter, Meaghan  Personette, of Conroe, TX.; oldest son and daughter-in-law; Matthew and Ashley Reilly, of Richmond, TX.; youngest son; Thomas Reilly, of Houston, TX.;  grandchildren; Lincoln Allen, Lennox and Lawson Personette,  Blakely Reilly,  and mother and stepfather; Judith "Judy" and Richard "Dick" Harlow, of Lauderhill, FL.  

His memory will also be cherished by his siblings; sister, Debra "Deb" Austin, of Berkshire VT.; brother and sister-in-law, Sean and Doreen Reilly, of Kingston, MA., nieces and nephews; Shannon Reilly, Connor Reilly, Brian Reilly, Derek Austin, and James Longley. 

He also precedes  in death by siblings; Jeff, Diane, Kevin, Kelli Ann and Matthew.

 Anyone whose lives were somehow touched by Richard, are invited  to please join us; 5:00 P.M.  Saturday,  September 2, 2023 @ 20910 Cordell Landing Drive, Richmond, TX., 77406. to  reminisce, grieve, share,  support one another, and of course, just chat and celebrate together the life of Richard John Reilly.

In 2020, Richard  overcame medical odds, making a remarkable recovery from an unexpected, critical life threatening illness, from that gaining a renewed  perspective and appreciation for life; specifically the precious gift of time. He loved the outdoors, especially the beach.  If no beach was near to bury his toes in, he could be found poolside underneath his cabana, Kindle in hand , Classic Rock through the speakers.  Sunday morning crosswords completed in blue ink, underneath a bottle of sunblock. He looked forward to the time he was able to share with his children, and thoroughly enjoyed spending his days with his grandchildren.  He enjoyed live music,  growing his own tomatoes , prefacing every story with "this will only take five minutes", and telling stories.  Richard was a story teller.  He also had a wicked sense of humor.  His laugh filled a room and will be missed by all those who shared it with him.  A die-hard  Astros fan, and avid sports fanatic,  he attended games with the people he loved, as often as possible,  

He forged close friendships that spanned the course of his lifetime,  and he cherished those friendships deeply.  He also found joy cultivating relationships with his neighbors, within his tight-knit community.   He will be remembered as a wildly intelligent, fiercely loyal, quick-witted,  kind-natured; man, father, grandfather, brother, friend, neighbor, and human.  

Richard's legacy will continue to live through the lives he touched and the stories he loved to share.  His presence will be deeply missed, but his memory will forever remain in our hearts.