Long Grove Trustee O’Reilly dies; also served Buffalo Grove, Lake County
Long Grove Trustee Roberta “Bobbie” O’Reilly, whose political career began in the late 1970s and included stints on the Buffalo Grove Village Board and the Lake County Board, died Tuesday at age 80.
O’Reilly, who served on the Long Grove board since 2017, was reelected this year.
Long Grove Village President Bill Jacob said she was proud of the village’s history and wanted to preserve it for future generations.
“Bobbie was well known throughout our community as a staunch supporter of all things Long Grove,” he said. “She was passionate about promoting local commerce and maintaining the vitality of our business districts.”
Prior to her tenure on the Long Grove board, she served on the Buffalo Grove Village Board from 1979 to 1987. She then moved on to the Lake County Board and the Lake County Forest Preserve Board from 1988 to 1992, where she was a staunch advocate on behalf of the Des Plaines River Trail.
A licensed Realtor and owner of Weichert Realtors-McKee Real Estate in Long Grove, she died just 80 days after the passing of her husband of 60 years, William O’Reilly, who had been a longtime member of the Buffalo Grove Park District board.
William O’Reilly who worked as a food broker before joining his wife in the real estate business, played a vital role in the park district’s development of baseball and soccer fields
Her son, Doug O’Reilly, said the couple’s lives revolved around Long Grove.
“The epicenter of their entire life was within 10 miles of there. They went outside that 10-mile radius for two reasons. They would go outside of it to go to the hospital. They would go outside of it to my brother's house or my house,” said Doug, who lives in Wisconsin near the Illinois border.
Bobbie O’Reilly opposed the extension of Route 53, her son recalled.
“My mom always said, ‘They’re going to build Route 53 over my dead body,’” he said.
When she first sought a seat on the Long Grove village board in 2017, O’Reilly said, “I want to make certain that while we finish growing our community, we don't accept growth that doesn't blend with our present village.”
She also advocated for growing the village’s commercial base.
“Those who came before us were very smart in attracting Menard's and the Sunset Foods development,” she said. “We need more of that type of development.”
Although illness kept her from recent meetings, she was able to cast a key vote in May in favor of the QuikTrip development proposal at Route 83 and Route 53, attending the meeting remotely from a Lincolnshire rehabilitation facility. It was her last meeting.
“She needed me to bring her computer so that she could vote on it,” Doug recalled. “It was super important to her.”
In addition to her service on the board, she was involved with the Long Grove Historical Society, the Lions Club and the Boy Scouts. She loved dogs and was a devoted bridge player.
She and her husband are survived by their sons William (Sara) and Douglas (Sharon) and four grandchildren.
A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on July 24 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Buffalo Grove. A celebration of life will follow from 3 to 6 p.m. at Buffalo Creek Brewing, 360 Historical Lane, Long Grove.
Contributions are encouraged to the Long Grove Historical Society or the Humane Society.