John "JP" Paul Reilly Jr.

John Paul Reilly Jr., or JP, PP, or just J (we’ll touch on nicknames later), lost his valiant fight for life at the age of 54 on November 3, 2023. He is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Tracy, aka the Warden, best son in the world, Connor, aka Baby Gilligan, parents, sister, brother, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, many cousins, father-in-law and beloved brothers and sisters-in-law. Born September 7th, 1969, in Royal Oak, Michigan under a black cloud, or at least that’s what we joked, it wasn’t long before JP’s mischievous grin and pessimistic outlook became synonymous with his name. His childhood was spent lovingly torturing his siblings and cousins. They were hung from doorknobs and given swirlies while Barbies were also tortured in savage shark attacks, Matchbox cars and army men fell victim to firecracker shell fire and doll houses never stood a chance in the paths of ferocious tornadoes. Right about when JP was 12 years-old, the Reilly family moved to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, next door to the Herbs and he fell for the love of his life, Tracy. This wasn’t a romance of sweet nothings and love notes, but one spent watching Dukes of Hazard and playing Atari. Both the Reilly and Herb families later moved to Illinois where JP and his fellow mullet sporting friends, or ‘the band’ as we called them, squealed their tires and wreaked havoc around town until graduation from Lake Forest High School in 1987. JP went on to Xavier University (his father’s alma matter) where he went from a metal head to a dead head. He loved all things XU, especially basketball, Dana’s and Norwoods. Many lifelong friendships were formed while at Xavier University over kegs and bowls of Skyline chili. Just prior to graduation, JP became too cool for school - literally. Much to his parent’s chagrin and surprise, he ventured off on a long, strange trip and followed the Grateful Dead across country. He did return to wrap up school and then earned his Master’s Degree from University of Denver. He spent the majority of his career working for TTX Corporation. You can blame him when you get stuck at those really long, never ending, freight trains. JP and Tracy married July 25th, 1998 to the delight of their families. They settled down and created a loving home for their first born dog, Cosmo, aka the ‘Ky-ote’, and ultimately their son, Connor. As hard as it may have been for JP to acknowledge, he and Tracy’s relationship was a true testament of love and acceptance. They were fan favorites while playing softball, cheering on Connor in baseball and football and while sharing stories at local events and around fire pits. JP was incredibly devoted to his other family as well – his community of favorite bands: the Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic and Phish. He traveled often to experience every night of their shows and kept a meticulous collection of live show recordings and band posters. Another one of JP’s loves was sports. SportsCenter, college, and Chicago sports were constantly on the TV and on JP’s mind. He was extremely proud of Connor’s three appearances on SportsCenter, of course. JP was also obsessed with placing daily Amazon orders, Fantasy Football, fishing, Bass Pro Shops, his truck, keeping his stuff extremely neat and tidy, and most of all, his rescue pups. Rocky, his favorite was always by his side, usually with the biggest stick he could carry. JP was a master smartass with the biggest and softest heart. Now, that may come as a surprise to some, because he hid it pretty well under his tough guy exterior. But the way every child and dog were magnetically drawn to him were a dead giveaway to his mushy interior. His uproarious and self-deprecating sense of humor and teasing were JP’s love languages. You know he loved you fiercely if he honored you with a unique nickname. Some family favorites include: Captain Feather Sword, Paige against the Machine, Career and Home-slice. RIP JP, aka P, Earl, or Black Cloud. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:30 AM on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at the Church of St. Mary, 175 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. For information – Reuland & Turnbough Funeral Directors of Lake Forest, 847-234-9649 or www.RTfunerals.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in JP’s name may be made to Wright Way Rescue – https://wright-wayrescue.org/, Xavier University https://www.xavier.edu/giving/, or Rex Foundation – https://rexfoundation.org/

John "JP" Paul Reilly Jr.

September 7, 1969 - November 3, 2023