Obituary of Victor J. Reilly

AIKEN – Victor Reilly, 99, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather, passed away March 11, 2020. 

Born March 4, 1921 in St. Louis, Missouri, he was the son of the late John Reilly and Olga Rosenthal Reilly. 

Vic Reilly held a BS degree from St. Louis University and a PH.D. in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.  He worked as a wartime research chemist with Monsanto in Aniston, AL, then served briefly with the US Navy at the end of WWII.  He held positions with Dupont in research on chemical processes and product development and facilities planning and management in Niagara Falls, NY, Oak Ridge, TN, Aiken, SC, Memphis, TN, Houston, TX and Wilmington, DE.  This included seven years in development and startup of the chemical processes used at the Savannah River Plant, leaving SRP in 1957.  He retired after 38 years of service in the chemical industry.  He was a member of the American Chemical Society for over 70 years.  He held 7 US patents.

Since retiring in 1982, he enjoyed traveling with his wife and golfing with friends at Midland Valley Country Club.  He was also a letter and essay writer.

Vic was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Lucille Viola Maloney Reilly; his brother, John Reilly, retired Captain US Navy; his sister, Alice Barton, a lifelong public school teacher both of St. Louis, MO; his cousin, Howard Rosenthal of Prescott, AZ who was adopted from his mother’s side of the family and raised as a brother; and his parents. 

Surviving are his sons, Tom Reilly(Pam Curnow), Aiken, SC, Terry Reilly (Ana Bernstein), New York and Rio de Janeiro; daughters, Mary Lou Helms, Aiken, SC and Linda Reilly (Heath Pois), Fremont, CA; six grandchildren, Patrick Harris (Donna), Maya Hedstrom Brenner (Craig), Keane Pois, Hunter Pois, Christina Helms and Cheryl Beth Bell (Alonzo); 5 great-grandchildren, Christopher, Sean, Maxwell, Leo Victor, and Alyssa Grace; and one great-great grandchild, Jason. 

The family lives all over the world and will hold a private memorial at a later date.

The Historic George Funeral Home, 211 Park Ave., SW, Aiken, SC 29801 (803.649.6234), has charge of arrangements.

Expressions of sympathy for the family may be left by visiting www.georgefuneralhomes.com