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Merrick Life • Bellmore Life • Freeport-Baldwin Leader • Wantagh-Seaford Citizen

"Hi, I'm Rae Reilly -Rae, like a ray of sunshine."

Rae Reilly died of natural causes April 14 at South Nassau Communities Hospital after a long series of health issues following an automobile accident in 2006.

Born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1918, she moved to the United States as a child in 1920. She was predeceased by her husband Edward R., and siblings Jeanette Robinson, Lorraine Herro and Charles Kandalaft.

She is survived by her children Bryan Edward Reilly of Coram and Jeanne Remonde Limowski of Merrick, and grandchildren Edward Limowski of Maryland, Stephen Limowski of Oceanside, Anne Limowski of Washington, D.C. and Bryan Joseph Reilly of Coram.

Mrs. Reilly moved to Merrick in 1951, and became active in clubs and organizations such as The Home Bureau, the Merrick Garden Club, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and Catholic Charities. She taught religious instruction at Sacred Heart Church in North Merrick, served as the Heart Fund Chairperson, as well as a Cub Scout den mother and Brownie Scout leader, and chaired Girl Scout cookie sales for several years in the 1960s.

Volunteer work for the Girl Scouts led to employment at the South Nassau Council of Girl Scouts (which later became the Girl Scouts of Nassau County), and then the Nassau County office of the Cornell Cooperative Extension. Many of her co-workers became lifelong friends.

Her wide range of interests included woodworking, ceramics, flower arranging, landscape painting, gardening and traveling. Always “on the go,” she never wanted to sit still.

Rae became certified New York State master gardener in her 80s.

Visiting Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17, will be at N.F. Walker Funeral Home, 2039 Merrick Avenue, Merrick. Funeral Mass will be at Sacred Heart Church on Monday, April 18, at 9:45 a.m. Interment at St. John’s Cemetery.

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