April 10, 1938 - November 10, 2024
John F. “Jack” Reilly (86) of Acworth, Georgia passed away peacefully on November 10, 2024, after a brief illness. A devoted husband, father, brother and friend, Jack will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Jack was born April 10, 1938, in New York City, the second son of Garrett and Johanna (Cullinane) Reilly who had emigrated from County Kerry, Ireland. He grew up in the Bronx, where he graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas School in 1951 and Roosevelt High School in 1955. Upon graduation, Jack enlisted in the Army, serving as a military policeman at Fort McPherson, Georgia until his honorable discharge in 1958.
It was during this time that Jack met Gale Henderson, the love of his life.
Jack had responded as MP to an on-base fender bender. After realizing they were both from New York, Jack befriended the errant driver who eventually introduced Jack to Gale, the driver’s sister.
They were married in New York in 1963 and shared a devoted partnership until Gales’ passing in 2006.
After his military discharge, Jack took a position in reservations with TWA. After only a year, however, he resigned his position with TWA to join the New York City Fire Department.
Jack was sworn into the FDNY in 1960, where he served bravely as a firefighter for more than 20 years. He was assigned to Engine 65 on 43rd Street in Times Square.
The stories of Jack’s time as a firefighter are legendary and he was incredibly grateful for the friendships he formed among the brotherhood of firefighters, both in New York City and, later, in the Atlanta area.
Although he had left TWA to join the FDNY, Jack was asked to return on a part-time basis for a few months. That part-time role lasted twenty years until Jack’s retirement from the FDNY when he rejoined TWA full-time. Following an industry merger in 1990, Jack became an employee of the newly created Worldspan as an Operations Manager. It was the creation of Worldspan which relocated Jack and his family to the Atlanta area in 1994.
Jack and Gale’s most treasured legacy, however, is their surviving son Sean, whom they adored and cherished.
Jack is also survived by his brothers Jim Reilly of Norwalk, CT, Gerald (Florence) Reilly of Castle Rock, CO, and his only sister, Mary Reinertsen of Ridgefield, CT.
Jack is predeceased by his beloved wife Gale (Henderson) and his parents Garrett and Johanna Reilly, his brother Desmond, his sister-in-law Mary Liston Reilly, and his brother-in-law Haakon Reinertsen.
Remaining to cherish Jack’s memory are many Henderson and Reilly nieces, nephews and cousins.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 14th from 5 to 8 pm and Friday, November 15th from 9 to 10 am at Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Funeral Home in Kennesaw, Georgia with services being held immediately thereafter also at Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Funeral Home.
Jack will be buried at a later date next to his beloved wife Gale in New York.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made in Jack’s memory to The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund of Georgia.
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Checks can also be made payable/mailed as follows:
The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund of Georgia
3782 Churchill Drive SW
Marietta, GA 30064