Barbara Ballina Reilley

Our beloved mother, Barbara Ballina Reilley, died peacefully in Baton Rouge on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at age 95. Barbara was preceded in death by her husband John Ford Reilley and son Robert Fitzpatrick Reilley, as well as her parents and siblings. She is survived by her children Ann Saxon (Brody), Kathleen "Kit" Reilley, Barbara "Babs" Athmann (Moe), Jane Franck (John), John Ford "Jack" Reilley, Jr., and Margaret "Meg" Reilley (Alisa). She is also survived by grandchildren Lauren Monaghan (James) and their children Olivia and Luke, Claire Clouatre (Ryan) and son Dylan, Jay Franck (April) and their children Rowan and Everett, Drew Reilley (Aimee) and their children Iley, Ezra and Arthur, Kate Chiasson and fiancé Daniel Connell, Davis Franck, Bob Reilley and daughter Eisley, Ford Athmann (Kacey Brister), Lindsay Bottger, Julia Athmann (John Gross), Daniel Franck, and Sean Saxon. Barbara was proud to be born and raised in New Orleans and enjoyed all the adventures the city offers, including riding the streetcar down Saint Charles Avenue, walks in Audubon Park, drinks with friends at The Sazerac Bar, red beans and rice on Mondays, hot boiled crabs and raw oysters served with a very cold beer, the music of Louis Armstrong, and a lively Mardi Gras parade. She graduated from Holy Name High School, and attended a year at Tulane University before going to work as a rapid fire typist and secretary at The Texas Company ("Texaco") on Canal Street. She traveled to Cuba (the birthplace of her father, Dario) where she "danced under the stars at the Copacabana". She traveled by steamship to Europe with a friend before returning to marry the love of her life, Ford Reilley. Date night at The Camellia Grill was a favorite. After the birth of their first two children, Ford and Barbara moved to Baton Rouge where they enjoyed an active social life, first in Broadmoor and later in Sherwood Forest. Barbara played tennis, enjoyed gardening, rug hooking, and traveling. Ford and Barbara later moved to College Town where she joined a "book club that didn't read" and a "sewing club that didn't sew". After being widowed suddenly at age 51, she returned to college and graduated with a degree in English from LSU at age 54. She fulfilled her dream of traveling around the world, and did so on a 30-day trip. Her world travels continued for many years with sisters Jane and Patsy and brother-in-law Peter, and other travels with friends. She earned the distinction of Master Gardener, and her garden was showcased at the annual Hilltop Garden Tour. She was a long-time usher at St. Aloysius Church, always hoping for cooler weather so she could wear her signature red leather jacket and black boots. Her last few years were spent at her new home in Rouzan and summers at her cottage in Asheville, North Carolina. Above all, Barbara had an infectious joy for life, always welcoming new people and adventures. She was adored by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who called her "Grammie". Later in life she was lovingly bestowed and relished living up to the nickname "Sassy". She was fiercely independent and was blessed with a long life in good health. Up until the time of her death her mind was sharp and curious. Less than a week before her death, she enjoyed a night of drinking champagne, eating oysters and dancing under the stars and a full Harvest Moon at a family wedding in New Orleans. The only concession she ever made to aging was the loss of her driver's license and her BMW. A mass will be celebrated in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, November 7 at 10 a.m. at St. Aloysius Catholic Church (2025 Stuart Avenue). The mass will be preceded by a visitation starting at 9 a.m., and followed by a private family graveside service held at Resthaven Gardens of Memory. Friends and family are invited to continue celebrating her extraordinary life at a reception at Bocage Racquet Club (7600 Jefferson Highway) beginning at 11:30 a.m. She was our treasure, our inspiration, our matriarch, our Grammie. She will be dearly missed and will live forever in our hearts. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Nature Conservancy or Saint Vincent de Paul.