Charlton/Worcester
Madeline V. Reilly, 81, died at the Overlook Masonic Home Post Acute Rehabilitation on Friday, January 7, 2011.
She leaves her husband of fifty-five years, John E. Reilly, three sons; Frederick C. Reilly of North Brookfield, Edward M. Reilly of Springfield, and John J. Reilly of Rosemount, MN., as well as six grandchildren and a sister, Mary Grace Ludwig,M.D., of Crawfordsville,IN. Born in Harrison, NY., she was the daughter of the late Nicholas and Elizabeth (Turso) Del Torto and lived in the Worcester area for more than forty years.
Having earned a bachelor's degree in social work from Fordham Univsity and a master's degree in history from Assumption College, Madeline enjoyed a widely varied employment career. She worked in child care at the Foundling Hospital in New York City and later as a case worker in the Department of Public Walfare both in Westchester County, NY. and in Albemarie County, VA. She taught history both in Pittsburgh, PA and at Wachusett Regional High School. She then served for eight years as Health Educator at the former Rutland Heights State Hospital, and she concluded her employment career by working for sixteen years as a Research Assistant to the Director of Development at the College of the Holy Cross.
Utterly devoted to her family and deeply loved by her husband, children and grandchildren, Madeline was an affectionate and unusually caring person always anxious to assist anyone in need or to offer comfort of any sort to anyone in distress. She regularly visited the ill and the homebound and helped establish the food pantry at the Church of the North American Martyrs in Auburn, and when she became a communicant of St. Joseph Church in Charlton she worked at the pantry there.
Visiting hours will be from 4 to 7 PM on Tuesday, January 11, 2011, at the Robert J. Miller-Charlton Funeral Home, 175 Old Worcester Rd.in Charlton; and a Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 AM on Wednesday, January, 12, 2011, at St. Joseph's Church, 10 H-Putnam Rd.,Extension in Charlton.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to; St. Joseph's Church,P.O.Box 38, Charlton City, MA. 01508.
In light of the special care given to Madeline and extended as well to members of the family at a most trying time, the family wishes to express special appreciation to Drs. Paul Harrington and Jeffrey Burl, to the staff of the Overlook Masonic Home Post Acute Rehabilitation facility as well as to the personnel of the Overlook Hospice Services. The family also wishes to acknowledge the unlimited support of that caring and loving community of residents that constitutes overlook Independent Living.
On Line Guest Book and Directions:RJMillerfunerals.net
The Funeral Mass has been re-scheduled, to Thursday, January 13,2011 at 1:00 PM at St. Joseph's Church.