Sail for America

Angel Rivera sponsored a flag that few on a boat during the Sail For America parade of sail boats on Saturday, September 14th 2002 in New York Harbor

From Angel:

I sponsored a flag with Timmy's name on it. It is going to fly on a sail boat during the Sail For America www.sailforamerica.com parade of sail boats on Saturday, September 14th in the New York Harbor. I will make arrangements to get it to Timmy's family after the parade of boats.

Some people may not know that Timmy, myself and Captain Ed Dolan did a little bit of sailing for many years on Captain Ed's Nike. Nike is a 42 foot wooden sail boat. We were regulars at the annual NYC Mayor's Cup. And my favorite memory of Tim was that famous sail to Cape Cod when Tim and I spotted a UFO. That is correct, a UFO. I did not say a flying saucer or martians. I mean an unidentifiable flying object. Fortunately we were not the only ones to spot such a thing. There were reports in the news of spottings up and down the northeast. To this day Captain Ed thinks we were on something but Captain Ed was asleep at the time.

Anyway, like all of you, I miss Timmy greatly and I think and talk about him all the time. Timmy, Captain Ed and I shared Yankee season tickets. Tim would always be travelling so he would give me his ticket and tell me to take my roommate, Eugene Whelan, who was one of the 343 Firefighters we lost on September 11th. I sponsored a flag for Eugene also. NYC is not the same for me and others I know without Timmy and Eugene. That is why I think it is fitting that I am leaving to move to Hollywood CA to work for the Screen Actors Guild after practically spending my whole life living in NYC.

Anyone travelling thru Cali should look me up. I know Tim would be a regular visitor if he were still with us. I bet it won't take too long before I meet someone in LA who knew Tim Reilly.

I leave you all with a famous Tim Reilly greeting, "Hi, I'm Tim Reilly. I come from a little place called Brooklyn." Go Brooklyn and Go Timmy!

Love Always!

Angel

Members of Reilly Family visit Cemetery

Tim's name is engraved on his father's headstone. Although his physical remains are not there, the stone represents a silent memorial to his life, and a permanent resting place with family in eternal life.

9/11 One year later

Claire, Brendan, John Pinamonti, Uncle Ed Reilly and myself honored Tim on 9.11 by braving crowds and strong winds in lower Manhattan to attend the early morning 9.11 memorial service at Ground Zero.

We listened to the Mayor and Governor's readings, Brendan patted rescue dogs and posed for pictures with them, and we then descended to the pit to listen to the reading of the names. Tim, being an "R" name was toward the end of the service. We listened on, with dust blowing all over, and in our faces, eyes and ears. Standing down there in the enormous pit, the scale of the physical devastation is awesome -- beyond words.

Tim is not down there in the pit. He never was. He is in the dust that was swirling around all over, in our faces, eyes and ears. He was up in the sky, that day, in the sun beaming down and comforting us with its warmth. There may be no physical piece of Tim remaining, but he is all around us, and there he will remain.

Playgroud Dedication

In 2001 at Tim's memorial service we asked that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to the Timothy E. Reilly memorial fund.

Tim's sister Kathleen Reilly organized the construction of a playground in Tim's honor at Holy Rosary School in Port Chester New York - where Tim's mom Claire teaches. The playground was officially opened just in time for the first day of school in 2002. Below is the transcript of the opening ceremony covered by News 12.

The Reilly Family would like to sincerely thank all those who have given to the fund.

School playground honors 9/11 victim

Who says going "back to school" is so bad? What a surprise for these children on their first day back to Holy Rosary School in Port Chester A ribbon cutting is held for their brand new playground. Father Tim Ploch blessed the area and thanked the family of Timothy Reilly for this gift.

Timothy Reilly was killed September 11th in the World Trade Center terrorist attack. The 41-year-old grew up in Larchmont, and was Vice-President for Marsh USA, located in the World Trade Center, on the 100th floor of tower one. In lieu of flowers for his funeral, his family requested donations' be made to the Holy Rosary School Fund. That money went to this playground.

"I hope they're enjoying themselves. Its something that, my brother was young at heart." Timothy's brother, Chuck, explains the playground was their mother's, Clare Walcovy's idea. She's a second grade teacher here at Holy Rosary, yet too shaken to speak on camera.

The children call her "Mrs W" "The kids are first in her heart. I think it's a fitting memorial for my brother and the school," Chuck Reilly said. While some of the children who will enjoy this playground might be too young to understand exactly why its here, others say this red, white and blue set up will serve as a reminder of what happened in this country on September 11th.

Student Jasmine DeJesus said, "Cause of the colors, they remind me of the American Flag, and her son, and the Twin Towers." Student John Caicedo said, "I want to thank Mrs. W. for putting this nice playground here for us." Yet, the sound of joy and laughter is probably enough thanks to "Mrs. W" who chose this playground to memorialize her lost son's spirit.