Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

MAYOR GIULIANI AND PARKS COMMISSIONER STERN DEDICATE
KATHY REILLY TRIANGLE

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today joined Parks Department Commissioner Henry Stern to dedicate a triangle in honor of dedicated public servant and beloved member of three Mayoral Administrations, Kathy F. Reilly. The triangle is located at the southwestern tip of McKinley Park, between 77th and 78th Streets and Fort Hamilton Parkway, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. A 16-year employee of the City of New York who served as Executive Assistant to four Deputy Mayors, Kathy Reilly died on April 11, 2000 after waging a valiant battle against cancer.

"This is a fitting tribute to honor one of our City's most dedicated employees," Mayor Giuliani said. "Kathy was not only a valued and highly capable member of this Administration, she was someone you could always count on for a laugh and a smile. She had a special quality that made coming to work more fun. We all miss her presence in City Hall very much."

Parks Commissioner Henry Stern said, "Parks is pleased to name this beautifully landscaped triangle in McKinley Park for a dedicated public servant and community member. The newly planted garden is a place for contemplative reading or a friendly chat with a neighbor."

During the ceremony, the Reilly family members unveiled a commemorative sign that will hang at the triangle. The sign, which reads "Kathy Reilly Triangle," provides a short biography of her life. Family members also watered a tree that was planted in Kathy's memory. Kathy Reilly's brother, James Reilly; her sister, Betty Ann McQuillen; and her grandniece, Samantha Stafford, were in attendance and participated in the ceremony. Also present were Deputy Mayor for Operations Joseph Lhota and former First Deputy Mayor Peter Powers under whom Kathy Reilly served as Executive Assistant.

Kathy Reilly was born in 1946 in the Westerleigh section of Staten Island. There she attended P.S. 30 and Port Richmond High School before moving to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where she lived for the rest of her life. Kathy began her professional career with the City of New York in 1984. She was a dedicated volunteer at Our Lady of Angels Theatre Group, the Fort Hamilton Army Base, Angel Guardian, and Bravo Ambulance Corps.