Obituary for Arlene S. O'Reilly
Arlene S. O’Reilly passed away on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at her Estero, FL, home surrounded by members of her loving family and caregivers she thought of as friends.
She loved living in Estero since 2003. Previously, she raised her family in Laurel Hollow, and Oceanside, Long Island, NY. Arlene was born on Feb. 9, 1940, a daughter of the late Meta Adorf and Harry Field.
Arlene was an amazing wife, mother, aunt and friend. She was one-of-a-kind. Her life changed when she met John “Jack” O’Reilly in their Elmhurst, NY, neighborhood when they were teenagers. Their high school romance led to an enduring marriage of 62 years. They married when she was just 17, too young to drink champagne at their wedding. At 18, she had the first of four children, Susan, and in the next 12 years, she had Kevin, Allison and Karen. She was a devoted mother who always encouraged her children to pursue their dreams. And she was happiest when she was helping them make their dreams come true.
At Christmas, she was Mrs. Claus, turning the holidays into a magical occasion. The house was beautifully transformed into a wonderland. She loved nothing more than watching her children’s smiles when they received the gifts they always wanted. Later, she and her husband enjoyed taking their children and their families on unforgettable Christmas trips to Hawaii, Aruba, the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos.
At every point in her children’s lives, she was there for them, to listen, to offer advice and foremost, to help them figure out any issues in their lives. She also loved having fun and playing with her kids, from games of Trouble and Ping Pong when she was younger, to very competitive games of Scrabble later in life, where she relished her big wins. An accomplished bowler, she once came within a frame of bowling a perfect game. In her Laurel Hollow days, she played tennis, while at her Estero home, she enjoyed mahjong games with friends and attending social events with her husband at the Shadow Wood Country Club.
She loved her husband Jack fiercely, and as one friend remembers, she also “sure knew how to tell him how to get it done.” She was Jack’s wife, but she also was his best friend and advisor. With their long talks on the couch at home, she advised him on how to build his successful mechanical contracting business. As a couple, they took big risks together, taking the land they owned for their business and turning it into a thriving 285-bed nursing home in Jackson Heights, NY. She helped decorate the award-winning facility, which looks like a hotel. She and Jack were proud that the nursing home would bring jobs back to the Queens area, where they grew up.
Arlene is survived by her three daughters and one son: Susan (Michael) Wolny; Kevin (Donna) O’Reilly; Allison Wysota and Karen Hartje. Arlene loved being a “Nana” to 10 grandchildren: Brittney (Brad) Igel; Meagan (Stephen) Damore; Derek (Alicia) O’Reilly; Brianna O’Reilly (and her fiancé Dan Smyth); Andrew, Austin and Addison Wysota; Haley, Nicole and Kaitlyn Hartje. She was delighted to be a “Great Nana” to five great-grandsons; Brandon, Bryce; Ashton, Landon, and Cooper.
The family will receive relatives and friends on Friday, July 8, 2022 from 7-9 pm at McCourt & Trudden Funeral Home at 385 Main St. in Farmingdale, NY, 11735. (Tel-516-249-1303). A committal service will be held on Saturday, July 9th at 10 am at St. Charles/Resurrection Cemeteries at 2015 Wellwood Ave., Farmingdale, NY, 11735. (Tel-631-249-8700).
As Arlene wished, she is being laid to rest next to her “Jackie,” as she called him, her husband of 62 years.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to Adam’s House, a non-profit organization founded by her daughter Allison, in memory of her beloved son-in-law, Adam Wysota. Adam’s House in Shelton, CT, provides support and education at no cost to grieving children and families in CT. To learn more, go to adamshousect.org.
She loved living in Estero since 2003. Previously, she raised her family in Laurel Hollow, and Oceanside, Long Island, NY. Arlene was born on Feb. 9, 1940, a daughter of the late Meta Adorf and Harry Field.
Arlene was an amazing wife, mother, aunt and friend. She was one-of-a-kind. Her life changed when she met John “Jack” O’Reilly in their Elmhurst, NY, neighborhood when they were teenagers. Their high school romance led to an enduring marriage of 62 years. They married when she was just 17, too young to drink champagne at their wedding. At 18, she had the first of four children, Susan, and in the next 12 years, she had Kevin, Allison and Karen. She was a devoted mother who always encouraged her children to pursue their dreams. And she was happiest when she was helping them make their dreams come true.
At Christmas, she was Mrs. Claus, turning the holidays into a magical occasion. The house was beautifully transformed into a wonderland. She loved nothing more than watching her children’s smiles when they received the gifts they always wanted. Later, she and her husband enjoyed taking their children and their families on unforgettable Christmas trips to Hawaii, Aruba, the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos.
At every point in her children’s lives, she was there for them, to listen, to offer advice and foremost, to help them figure out any issues in their lives. She also loved having fun and playing with her kids, from games of Trouble and Ping Pong when she was younger, to very competitive games of Scrabble later in life, where she relished her big wins. An accomplished bowler, she once came within a frame of bowling a perfect game. In her Laurel Hollow days, she played tennis, while at her Estero home, she enjoyed mahjong games with friends and attending social events with her husband at the Shadow Wood Country Club.
She loved her husband Jack fiercely, and as one friend remembers, she also “sure knew how to tell him how to get it done.” She was Jack’s wife, but she also was his best friend and advisor. With their long talks on the couch at home, she advised him on how to build his successful mechanical contracting business. As a couple, they took big risks together, taking the land they owned for their business and turning it into a thriving 285-bed nursing home in Jackson Heights, NY. She helped decorate the award-winning facility, which looks like a hotel. She and Jack were proud that the nursing home would bring jobs back to the Queens area, where they grew up.
Arlene is survived by her three daughters and one son: Susan (Michael) Wolny; Kevin (Donna) O’Reilly; Allison Wysota and Karen Hartje. Arlene loved being a “Nana” to 10 grandchildren: Brittney (Brad) Igel; Meagan (Stephen) Damore; Derek (Alicia) O’Reilly; Brianna O’Reilly (and her fiancé Dan Smyth); Andrew, Austin and Addison Wysota; Haley, Nicole and Kaitlyn Hartje. She was delighted to be a “Great Nana” to five great-grandsons; Brandon, Bryce; Ashton, Landon, and Cooper.
The family will receive relatives and friends on Friday, July 8, 2022 from 7-9 pm at McCourt & Trudden Funeral Home at 385 Main St. in Farmingdale, NY, 11735. (Tel-516-249-1303). A committal service will be held on Saturday, July 9th at 10 am at St. Charles/Resurrection Cemeteries at 2015 Wellwood Ave., Farmingdale, NY, 11735. (Tel-631-249-8700).
As Arlene wished, she is being laid to rest next to her “Jackie,” as she called him, her husband of 62 years.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to Adam’s House, a non-profit organization founded by her daughter Allison, in memory of her beloved son-in-law, Adam Wysota. Adam’s House in Shelton, CT, provides support and education at no cost to grieving children and families in CT. To learn more, go to adamshousect.org.