OBITUARYA SUCCESSFUL fashion designer and loving wife and mother was farewelled last month after she died following heart surgery.
Harkaway resident Alesia Lorraine (Lee) O’Reilly died about 3.30pm on 22 November.
Her husband of 45 years, and president of the Rotary Club of Endeavour Hills, John O’Reilly said the two of them had a great friendship and made a great team.
Together they travelled the world, had four children, a successful fashion business based in Dandenong and a beautiful home in Harkaway which Mrs O’Reilly designed and Mr O’Reilly built.
“She was a prodigious worker,” Mr O’Reilly said of his wife.
“She was a ‘have a red-hot-go’ girl. She wasn’t scared of anything.”
Mr O’Reilly said his wife did not seek fame, but her excellent designs landed her numerous awards nationally and internationally, as well as accolades from her peers and retail buyers.
Mr O’Reilly was in charge of marketing her designs, but said she made his job easy.
“It was easy to sell her stuff,” Mr O’Reilly said.
“It was that good.”
Two of their children have since taken over the fashion business which now has primary focus on corporate wear.
Following her success in the fashion industry, Mrs O’Reilly changed her focus to designing their beautiful home in Harkaway and creating a magnificent garden.
“She liked to conquer and move on,” Mr O’Reilly said.
Her determination was only one of her many admirable traits.
Mr O’Reilly said his wife had a great endurance and focus, she always sought the truth, she was a strong advocate for women’s right and she was extremely loyal.
Her strong will and determination was evident when she battled and beat bowel cancer and bladder cancer.
It was her big and gracious heart which she succumbed to.
Ms O’Reilly leaves behind her husband John, children Janice, Kerry, Shaun and Kara, and twelve grand-children, with one more on the way.
