Alice D. Reilly

Alice D. Reilly, age 91 of Wilmington DE died Thursday June 11 2026, surrounded by family with a view of her beloved garden.  Daughter of Oscar M. and Inez F. Dalton, Alice was born in Nashville, TN in 1935 and grew up in Gallatin, TN. She received a BA degree in chemistry from Vanderbilt University in 1956, and then joined the DuPont Company at Eastern Laboratory in Gibbstown, NJ.  There, she met James I. (Jim) Reilly; they were married in 1959 and raised four children while living in several locations in the United States and England.

At age 50, Alice enrolled in nursing school and received a BS in nursing from Neumann University, Aston PA, in 1998.   She dedicated her career to compassionate home-based patient care, working for Delaware Hospice for 20 years.

Alice was an avid and curious gardener, learning from garden visits in other countries, especially Great Dixter in England, always with her notebook and pen in hand. With Jim she explored the globe and enjoyed many walking tours throughout Europe.  Always informed and ready to discuss the news of the day, Alice was passionate about learning.  Before beginning nursing school, she was on track to earn a masters in art history from the University of Delaware. She also studied French and Italian, and for decades enjoyed the offerings at UD’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She was an active member of the First Unitarian Church of Wilmington.

Alice is survived by her four children, Dr. Laura Reilly and her husband, Dr. David Hartley, of Kennett Square, PA,  Dr. Anne Reilly and her husband, Jim Orgass, of NewCastle, ME, James Reilly and his wife, Serena Hoy, of Arlington, VA, and David Reilly and his wife, Annie Reilly, of Piedmont, CA; her grandchildren Emma and Ian Hartley, Emmett Orgass, Rosalie, Nathaniel, Owen and Quinn Reilly. In addition to her parents, Alice was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, Jim Reilly, and her brother Oscar Dalton.

A memorial service will be held at Chandler Funeral Home, 2506 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE, on Thursday, June 18, with visitation at 9:30 am followed by a service at 10:30 am. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Food Bank of Delaware, 222 Lake Dr, Newark DE 19702 or North American Friends of Great Dixter, 54 Kirby Hollow Rd, Dorset VT 05251.