Athlete, sports administrator, community activist.
Born at Napier, New Zealand on 13 June 1948 to Edward and Edna Reilly, he grew up there and was a member of the Napier Marist Rugby Football Club. He completed his apprenticeship in flooring installation, played cricket, and dedicated his time to volunteering on various committees with the Marist Club. He met Iris Mulvay in 1972, and after moving permanently to Canada in 1975, the couple married and settled in Brandon, where they went on to have three children.
He began his life in Canada as a flooring installer and throughout the 40 years in this trade worked for a variety of carpet stores, eventually owning his own business, J. E. Reilly Flooring. In 2005, having retired from business, he completed a bus driver course and began employment with the Transportation Department of the Brandon School Division, a position that he maintained until the time of his death. He described this position as his “dream job,” because he enjoyed the children, the teachers, and his fellow bus drivers.
A founding member of the Brandon Barbarians Rugby Football and Athletic Club in 1981, he spent many hours as a player, coach, referee, club president, and executive member. The “Barbs” won the Men’s Second Division Championships in 2003, 2004, 2005 (Manitoba Cup), 2006, and 2010. The Lady Barbarians brought home the Provincial Senior Women’s trophy in 2011, 2014 and 2015. The Club travelled overseas to England and Wales and to the US for tournaments in the 1980s and 1990s. Many Barbarians who got their start in the Wheat City have represented Manitoba and Canada at national and international competitions.
Reilly’s favourite time was spent on the tractor, maintaining the grounds of Canada Games Rugby Park in Brandon. The fields are his legacy to the game of rugby, as he was instrumental in the development of the venue for the Canada Games in 1997. He was honoured by the city giving the name John Reilly Field to the venue. Since his children were all involved in various sports as they grew up, including soccer, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and cross-country running, he volunteered as coach, manager, timekeeper, or whatever position needed to be filled. He was always keen for a road trip away with the teams. He was President of the Brandon Youth Soccer Association for several years. Marathon running became a passion for him, and he completed five marathons.
He died at Brandon on 11 May 2009. In 2010, he was posthumously inducted as a Builder into the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 6 June 2009.
“Reilly going into Rugby Hall,” Brandon Sun, 16 October 2010.
History, Brandon Barbarians Rugby Club.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 6 August 2025
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