Obituary of Dorothy Frances Reilly

Dorothy Frances (Hur) Reilly passed away early February 6 at age 88, after a brief but valiant fight with pneumonia and sepsis. Her sons were by her side.

She was born in Chicago in 1936, to Korean physicians Daniel K. Hur and Naomi Frances Kim, and grew up in Manteno, IL where her parents built and ran a small rural hospital. Despite enduring significant racial prejudice as the only Asian family in a large Midwestern area, her parents became much beloved by their community, and Dorothy excelled in her academic and social pursuits.

She attended Wheaton Academy for high school, followed by Lawrence University, where she graduated summa cum laude in 1958 and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. While in school, against familial societal and scholastic pressures, she eloped with her college sweetheart David E. Reilly, who predeceased her in 2018, 4 days shy of their 60th anniversary. She went on to obtain a Masters degree in physics from U. Wisconsin, and enter the nascent field of computer science. During her long career at Systems Development Corporation and Xerox, she was particularly proud of being part of the Apollo XII launch crew at Goddard when she was able to be in the control room at the time of launch, playing a pivotal role in setting up the initial global defense satellite network as well as managing a team that would help to develop the first computer graphic user interface.

Outside of work, she maintained her lifelong interest in computers and also cultivated many hobbies. She was a skilled pianist, though this ability was taken from her by progressive arthritis. She loved her toy fox terriers, and after retirement entered the arena of show dog competition. She was the proud owner of 3 certified Champions.

She went to school for and completed certification in Interior Design. She competed in Ballroom dancing with her husband for several years. She loved organic gardening, and when she could no longer garden continued to enjoy buying produce in bulk.

Dotty was precise and detail oriented, and doggedly determined to accomplish her goals her way. Throughout her life, she was most proud of her accomplishments despite prejudice, and the successes of her descendants. She is survived by her sons Mark Cameron Reilly and Christopher Elliot Reilly, grandchildren Bridget, Meaghan, Patrick, Erin and Angela, daughter in law Teresa, and her beloved toy fox terrier Augustus.

Graveside services will be held at Oakwood Memorial Park on Tuesday February 18th at 1pm. The ceremony will be live streamed for those unable to attend.

In lieu of flowers please consider donations to National Rescue Search Dog Foundation. https://donate.searchdogfoundation.org/1170