Michael Joseph Reilly

Michael Joseph Reilly, 53, of Centreville, Virginia, passed away on November 14, 2021. Mike was born on December 22, 1967, at Marine Corps Base Quantico. After graduating from Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, he proudly served in the U.S. Army, 30th Infantry Regiment, Third Infantry Division. His assignment was in West Germany during the Cold War. Mike always had a smile on his face, even during Army boot camp, so one of his sergeants gave him the nickname “Smiley Reilly” – which stuck, and soon became his long-time email address. In 1993 Mike graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a BA in International Politics, and he forever remained a die-hard Nittany Lions fan. Inspired by his father’s career in law enforcement, Mike also caught the law enforcement bug, and joined the U.S. Border Patrol in 1995. His first assignment was Del Rio, TX, where he worked to protect the U.S. border for eleven years. In 2001 he was selected to teach Immigration Law at the Border Patrol Academy in Charleston, SC, and then in 2006 was stationed at BP Tucson, Arizona Sector. In 2009 he was assigned to BP Headquarters in Washington D.C. where he made Assistant Chief. In 2016 he worked in conjunction with the Coast Guard on a special task force in Norfolk, VA. Mike also participated in several recruiting efforts for the Border Patrol, received many awards and accolades, and was loved and respected by his peers. Mike was an avid golfer; and believed there was no such thing as a bad day on the golf course. He enjoyed participating and competing in local tournaments and had just started teaching his son Finn how to play the game. He was a huge sports fan, and loved watching and supporting many DC sports franchises, like Capitals hockey. He was also a huge movie buff, especially of action and war films, and one of his greatest joys was taking Finn to the movies to see the latest superhero flicks. Over the years he also enjoyed collecting sports trading cards and comic books and taking his son to Comic Cons. Traveling was a lifelong passion of Mike’s. He enjoyed romantic getaways with his wife, and family trips to beach destinations and theme parks for Finn like Disneyworld, Universal, and Legoland. His greatest joy was spending time with family and watching his son grow. He is survived by his loving wife, Melanie; his son, Finnian "Finn"; his brothers, Patrick, and Timothy; and his parents, Thomas, and Katherine. Mike will be remembered as a proud father, a loving husband, a loyal friend, a supportive coworker, and a fun uncle. He was loved by many, will be greatly missed, and will never be forgotten. His legacy lives on in his son Finnian. A funeral mass will be held at 10 am on Friday, April 22, 2022 at the Semper Fidelis Memorial Chapel in Triangle, VA. Interment will follow at Quantico National Cemetery. A celebration of life will take place at 12:30 pm in the Medal of Honor Room, 2nd floor of the Historical Museum of the Marine Corps.