Obituary of Jeannette Jeanie'' Reilly

Jeannette Catherine (MacDonald) Reilly ''Jeanie'' of Burlington, MA, passed away on April 30, 2017. Jeanie was born on January 8, 1931 to the late Sarah (Gallagher) and William MacDonald. She was raised in Burlington, MA and was the eldest of four children. She attended St. Charles School, where she graduated high school. When her mother died at a young age, Jeanie assumed the role of caregiver for her younger siblings. She later married her husband Chick on April 15, 1956. They were married for sixty-one years and had three children. Jeanie was a devoted mother who stayed home for many years to care for her family. When her children got older, she worked mother's hours at Filene's Department Store. In the early years after her retirement, Jeanie enjoyed traveling with her husband and loved nothing more than their annual trip to ''Cape Winds''. They would always make sure to go right around the holidays to stock up on gifts for everyone. That was another of Jeanie's passions - shopping - one she shared with her only grandchild on their many family vacations. No gift shop was ever left behind! Jeanie also enjoyed gardening, cooking, watching television with her family and her favorite sports teams, the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots. Jeanie was a very gentle, but spunky woman. Although very small in stature, she could always surprise you with her quick wit and sharp tongue. She was incredibly generous and was always concerned with whether or not others had enough. It was impossible to come into her home without her offering you a cold drink or something to nibble on. She was incredibly caring and worried about her family to a fault - she was never too busy to be there for someone she loved. Jeanie was the beloved wife of Charles A. Reilly, Jr., ''Chick''. She was the devoted mother of Debra Ann Gonchar and her husband Randy of Reading, and of Charles and John Reilly of Stoneham. She was the proud grandmother of Victoria Gonchar. She was the beloved sister of Sarah Lendrim, her husband, Robert and their son, Alexander of Woodbine, Maryland, Mary Jane Decarsky of Tewksbury, and William MacDonald and his wife, Joanne of Burlington. She was the loving aunt of many nieces and nephews. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home on Thursday, May 4 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Wednesday 4-8 p.m. Interment in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Burlington. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Memorials in Jeanie's name may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 www.stjude.org.