kate reilly brinkley
Welcome
Welcome to the Life of Reillys. These are tales of growing up in the 50s, 60s, and 70s in Washington, D.C. in an area known now as Chevy Chase D.C. The stories are mostly my memories, aided by those of my six older brothers and sisters. My parents met in 1937 as staff members of the House Civil Liberties Committee: a young lawyer investigating anti-union activities at Appalachian coal mines and a slightly younger Nebraskan with a degree in home economics working in the Congressional secretarial pool. They met in 1936, fell in love, and married on September 25, 1937. Seven rough characters followed. We are they.
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More…
27. I Place My Hope on the Water
One Friday in early October 2019, I was sitting in my office near the University of Virginia when my sister Missy called. “Have you seen an email from Joe?” Well, no, I was working, or at least I was sitting at my desk talking…not checking my personal email. “Look now,” she said. “I’ll call you…
26. A Peace that Surpasses All Understanding
Rita Ann Reilly LeBlanc October 21, 1963 ~ February 5, 2014 This is the eulogy I gave for my niece Rita who died when she was 50. As it turned out, there was another chapter to Rita’s life that had yet to be written. That post will be coming shortly, but for now, I’d like…
25. As Bright and Brief as Sparks on a Chimney Wall
After my sister Maureen moved to San Francisco with her boyfriend Billy in 1965, my father took her a single lens reflex camera and a few rolls of film. Maureen had already had her first son Seamus, and Matt was on the way. Once she picked up that camera, it seemed she never put it…
Life of Reillys 