Flori Ann Reilley

Flori was born on April 16, 1933, in Moline, Illinois, to Elijah and Helen Wilson, both originally from Sabula, Iowa. She had one older brother, Donald, who was three years her senior. Flori spent portions of her childhood in Sabula and Amarillo, Texas, before moving with her family to Long Beach, California, in 1942.

Not only did Flori possess a beautiful soprano singing voice from a very early age, but she could also play the violin and tap dance! During her high school years, as she began to gain more notoriety for her singing abilities, she was invited to audition as a singer for the renowned musician Louis Armstrong. After giving it some thought, however, she decided that the traveling entertainment lifestyle was not the life she wanted and chose not to attend the audition. Her children will always be grateful for that decision, believing it helped keep her life on the path that soon led her to meet and marry their father, Dale.

Near the end of her senior year of high school, Flori’s friends arranged three blind dates for her over one weekend—one on Friday, one on Saturday, and one on Sunday. Her Friday night date was with a young college man named Dale Reilley. After meeting him and going on their date, Flori returned home and told her mother, “I think I’ve met the man I’m going to marry,” and asked her friends to cancel the other two dates. She was right!

Flori married Dale Richard Reilley in July 1951, shortly after his return home from military service in the Korean War. Flori and her mother Helen actually planned their entire wedding while dad was overseas in Korea! Together, they built a life centered around faith, family and hard work and raised seven children--five sons and two daughters: Tom, Tim, Shawn, Dan, John, Robert, and Mary.

Flori was a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker. As her children grew older and went to school, she also worked part-time outside the home to help support the household. Her greatest joy, however, was always her family.

The Reilley home was warm and inviting, filled with food, music, conversation, laughter, and frequent family gatherings. Many special years and treasured memories were created there in the home as we all have multiple memories of huge groups of grandkids tearing open presents on Christmas day. It was Flori’s cooking, lively personality, and gift for making people feel welcome that helped make their home a place where family and friends always felt comfortable.

Flori was also a gifted artist who developed an exceptional talent for painting. She created portraits, landscapes, and many other beautiful works throughout her life, many of which still hang on the walls of her home or have treasured places in the homes of family and friends. Her artistic ability reflected her creativity, patience, and appreciation for beauty.

Music remained an important part of Flori’s life. She especially enjoyed singing at church during her younger years, where her beautiful soprano voice could be heard. She also spent time teaching her kids and grandkids how to play the piano, too. Her faith in God remained steadfast throughout her life and was a source of strength and comfort to her and her family.

Flori will always be remembered for her sharp wit, wonderful sense of humor, and lively, outgoing personality. She loved to laugh and was never too shy to dance at a party. She had a way of bringing warmth, energy, and fun wherever she went.

Flori’s beloved husband, Dale, passed away in May 1998. She was also preceded in death by their oldest son, Tom, who passed away in March of that same year.

Through their seven children, Flori and Dale have been blessed with more than 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren combined. Her family was the center of her world, and her fierce devotion to those she loved never wavered.

Flori was also blessed with many dear friends throughout her lifetime who loved her greatly. Although most have now gone before her, the friendships and memories they shared remained an important part of her life. One of those special friendships that Flori mentioned frequently in life has been with the Le Family—Dat, Thu, Chau and Dien. Mom and Dad were ever so grateful and extremely blessed to have been a part of their journey to America. As the years passed, they were equally as thrilled to see how the entire Le family thrived and prospered, all due to simply being willing to offer their home to a family in deep need during a very stressful time in our world’s history.

Flori’s family is deeply grateful for the many lives she touched. She will be dearly missed for her beautiful voice, her artistic gifts, her quick wit, her sense of humor, her love of dancing, her cooking, her fierce devotion to family, and, above all, her unwavering faith in God.

Her life was a blessing, her memory will be treasured, and her legacy of faith, laughter, and love will continue through the generations of family she cherished so dearly.

If you would like to honor Flori in her memory, we would respectfully request that, in lieu of flowers, to consider making a financial contribution in her name to one of two organizations: Livingston Hospice of Ventura, or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.