Barbara A. O'Reilly

Barbara died peacefully on September 28th from complications of Multiple Sclerosis. She was 77 years old. Raised in the Inwood section of New York City, she attended the College of Mount Saint Vincent where she studied History and Political Science. She later earned a master’s degree in journalism from Penn State University which led to an interesting career as a writer in the fields of Politics, News, and Public Relations. She graduated from Law School at CCNY and then moved to New Jersey where she resumed her career as a writer and journalist.

Barbara was devoted to her family, to her many friends and former colleagues and to her large, extended family. She doted on her nieces and nephews and on her godchildren. She loved to travel, especially to her beloved Ireland. Her ongoing interest in history led her to years of research into the genealogy of both sides of her Irish family. Since her time at Penn State, she has been an avid Nittany Lions fan.

Always full of life, in her younger years Barbara enjoyed many sports- ice skating, swimming, tennis, sailing, skiing and she even tried white water rafting. As the limitations of her MS became more apparent, she put her energies into being an advocate for herself and other people with disabilities. She found comfort in her strong faith and her many friends and advocates in church groups, writer’s groups and disability support groups.

Barbara is survived by her sister, Sheila Kramer, her brother-in-law Stan Kramer, her niece Tara Keeler, her nephew Michael Kramer, her grandnephew James Keeler and her grandniece Bridget Keeler.

The funeral and interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the MS Society. We hope that her friends and family will celebrate her life in ways that are meaningful to them.

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