James Joseph Reilly (“Jim”), born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 27, 1947, passed away on  Thursday, November 14, 2024, fortified with the Sacraments of the Catholic Church.  

Jim was the eldest of Marion J. and Adele C. Reilly’s four children. A precocious and whip-smart  child, Jim excelled in his studies at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic grade school where he served  as an altar boy, choir boy, boy scout and later alongside his father as an Our Lady of Lourdes  church usher. Jim enjoyed playing handball and baseball during his youth, and attended Mercy  High School, where his teachers convinced him that he could do anything if he put his mind to it.  Jim attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis, graduating with a degree in chemistry in 1969.  Jim then enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He went on to receive master’s  degrees in chemistry and math from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Jim’s true passion was teaching. He accepted a full-time job at Wentworth Military Academy in  Lexington, MO, where he taught college and junior college level chemistry, math, physics and  general science for thirty years. Jim was beloved by his students, many of whom went on to  become doctors, nurses and dentists. He loved to teach and received a Teacher of the Year  award from the Lexington Lions Club in 1994.  

A true “Renaissance Man,” Jim loved history, music (especially Beatles music), Latin, German  and baseball, and he could speak about and educate his listeners about practically any topic.  He was a voracious reader (particularly of Sherlock Holmes books), and he played the mandolin  and could recite dozens of limericks and puns by heart. When Jim traveled, it was usually to  historic locations, where he often knew more about the sites than the guides did. His  encyclopedic mind made him a wonderful conversationalist, and he enjoyed talking with anyone  and everyone. A life-long learner, Jim was humble, and he maintained a positive, “can-do”  attitude throughout his life. He cared deeply about his family and everyone else. 

Jim is survived by his two sisters, Marjorie Reilly and Mary Reilly-McNellan (Mike), sister-in-law  Catherine Herbert Reilly, niece Janey (Matt) Perrizo, nephew David Reilly, grand-niece  Georgiana Perrizo, grand-nephews Thomas and Edward Perrizo, and numerous cousins and  friends. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother, John G. Reilly (“Johnny”). Jim  especially enjoyed going on what he called “Magical Mystery Tours” with Johnny, exploring  some of the lesser-known St. Louis sites. Jim was greatly loved by his family and everyone who  knew him. 

A memorial service for Jim and his burial at Resurrection Cemetery in St. Louis will take place at  a later date. The family requests prayers for Jim or donations to the Alzheimer’s Association or to a  charity of choice in Jim’s name.