Margaret "Peggy" (Wallace) Reilly
Peggy Reilly died at home on August 2, 2023 after a short illness. She was born Margaret
Ann Wallace in Andover, Massachusetts on October 15, 1929. Her parents were Alexander
and Alice Wallace, as well as older sisters Lillian and Elizabeth (Betty), all of whom
emigrated from Aberdeenshire, Scotland to Shawsheen Village in Andover in the early
1920's.
Peggy attended Andover schools and graduated from Punchard High School in 1947. As a
teenager, she and her sisters worked in their mother’s restaurant, known as Wallace’s
American Eagle, which was on the same site as what is now Andover’s 99 Restaurant. After
graduating from high school, Peggy worked several years as a clerk for Mass. Electric. In
1956 she married Andover native Francis Reilly, who had founded and operated F.P. Reilly
Construction, which carries on today as F.P. Reilly & Sons. Peg and Fran raised their three
sons Peter, Robert and Michael on Dascomb Road in Andover. In the late 1960's Barbara
and Ernie Perry bought the house across the street and a lifelong friendship was born with
the entire Perry family. For the last 40 years of her life, Peg lived at the Bradlee
Condominium on Andover Street, which Fran developed with his partner Gus Sheehy after
acquiring the abandoned school from the Town of Andover in 1980.
While living on Dascomb Road, Peg maintained beautiful gardens and was a expert on
Perennials. Both she and Fran were blessed to enjoymanywinters with friends at Lido
Beach in Sarasota, Florida. Peg also enjoyed trips with family members to Hawaii, Bermuda,
Canada, Paris, as well as her beloved Scotland. For more than 30 years, she was a weekly
volunteer at the Holy Family Hospital in Methuen. In 1997, Peg converted to Roman
Catholicism and was a loyal member of St. Augustine Parish in Andover until her death.
Peg is survived by her son Peter and his wife Marianne, son Michael, his companion Julie
Watson Guild, and daughter-in-law Cookie Messina-Reilly-Cochran. She was predeceased
by her husband Fran in 1996 and son Robert in 2004. She is also survived by eight
grandchildren, including Meg Reilly, Abby Reilly, Peter Reilly Jr., Sarah Reilly Croteau,
Laura Reilly, Michael Reilly, Roberta Reilly and Lilly Birch; and two great grandchildren,
Ellie and Jack Croteau. There are many nieces and nephews as well who loved her dearly.
Special thanks is given to niece Susan Kew Tousignant and husband Dave, as well as
nephew Rob Kew and wife Karen for their special outpouring of love and generosity over
the years.
Funeral arrangements are by the Burke-Magliozzi Funeral Home, 390 North Main Street,
Andover. Family and friends are invited to attend calling hours between 4:00 and 8:00 pm
on Tuesday August 8th. Her funeral Mass will he celebrated in St. Augustine Church, 43
Essex Street, Andover, on Wednesday August 9, 2023, at 10 AM. Interment to follow at West
Parish Garden Cemetery in Andover.
Peggy loved flowers. However, if desired, donations can be made in lieu of flowers to the
Griswold Home Care Scholarship Fund, 9 Bartlet Street, Suite 143, Andover, MA 01810 at www.griswoldhomecare.com. For additional
information, please visit, www.burkemagliozzi.com.