Charlton
John E. Reilly, 86, Emeritus Professor of American Literature, died Tuesday, October 28, 2014.
His wife of fifty-five years, Madeline (Del Torto) Reilly, passed away three years ago. He leaves three sons, John of Rosemount, MN., Ed of Springfield, MA., and Fred of North Brookfield, MA; six grandchildren, Alex, Dan, Emma, Jackie, Greg, and Griffin; a brother William J. Reilly of Danbury, CT, and two daughters-in-law, Michele and Jennifer.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Catherine M. Smith.
John was born in New Rochelle, N.Y., and was the son of the late William and Emma (Howarth) Reilly and lived in the Worcester area for more than forty years.
After serving in the military in Germany, Professor Reilly earned his bachelor’s degree from New York University, a masters in English literature from Rutgers University, and a doctorate in English and American literature from the University of Virginia.
He was a member of the faculty of Duquesne University in Pittsburg for a decade before joining the English faculty of Holy Cross College in 1968, where he was sometime chairman of the Department. He retired from Holy Cross in 1990. On occasion he taught at WPI and Assumption College, offered courses in the Worcester Institute for senior Education for twenty years, and led colloquia on the Poetry of Religious Experience at parishes in the Worcester Diocese.
A literary historian with a special interest in nineteenth-century American literature, he was the author of numerous publications, principally on Edgar Allan Poe and his circle. He was a member of the American Antiquarian Society and the American Literature Association, a lifetime member of the Modern Language Association, an honorary member of the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, a co-founder and honorary member of the International Poe Studies Association, and a member of the editorial boards of the journal Poe Studies/Dark Romanticism and the journal The Edgar Allan Poe Review.
Professor Reilly was a lector, a Eucharistic minister, a member of the Liturgy Committee, the choir, and the Parish Council in St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Worcester, a lector and Eucharistic minister in the Church of the North American Martyrs in Auburn, a lector at St. Catherine of Sweden Church in Worcester, and a lector at St. Joseph Parish in Charlton.
He was an elected member of the Auburn Democratic Town Committee and served as a Town Meeting Member in Auburn.
The Funeral for Professor Reilly will be Saturday, November 1, 2014 with a Mass at 1:00 PM in St. Joseph’s Church, 10 H. Putnam Rd., Ext. in Charlton.
Burial will be at a later date in Notre Dame Cemetery in Worcester.
Calling Hours will be Friday, October 31, 2014 from 4PM to 7 PM at the ROBERT J.MILLER-CHARLTON FUNERAL HOME, 175 Old Worcester Rd.
Kindly Omit Flowers, Memorial Contributions may be made to the Charity of One’s Choice.
On Line Guest Book for Professor Reilly: RJMillerfunerals.net