John F. Reilly Jr. ’54

John F. Reilly Jr. ’54, a lifelong resident of Lowell, Massachusetts, passed away on November 9, 2009. “Jack” was a graduate of Lowell High School, where he was a member of the undefeated 1948 and 1949 football teams that were invited to the Memorial Bowl in Jackson, Michigan, in 1948 and the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1949. At Dartmouth, where he also played football, Jack majored in economics. After two years’ Army service he joined Fred C. Church as a salesman in October of 1956. He became president and CEO in 1980 and continued until 2007, when he reduced his role to chairman. Under his leadership Fred C. Church grew to become one of the largest privately owned insurance agencies in New England. A director and vice chairman of Merrimack AAA and former director of Colonial Gas Co. and Massachusetts Electric Co., he also served as director and executive committee member of Family Bank and trustee and member of the board of investment at Central Savings Bank. Jack served as secretary and director of the Lowell Revitalization Corp., co-founder and director of the Friends of Lowell High School, chairman of St. John’s Hospital (Saints Medical Center), president of the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the board of trustees of the Lowell Memorial Auditorium and director of Lowell Boys Club and Greater Lowell United Fund. Jack is survived by wife of 54 years, Elaine Ganem, four children and 19 grandchildren.