James B. Reilly "Jim"

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In Remembrance
Memorial Mass
Memorial T-Shirt
Eulogies
Remembering Jim
Ride for Reilly
Recovered Item
Photos: Friends & Family
Photos of Jim
Age:
25
Place of Residence:
New York, NY
Location on 9/11:
Two WTC
James B. Reilly "Jim"
Occupation:
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods | Bond Trader
Dedicated Memorial Sites:
Queen Elizabeth II September 11 Memorial Garden
Conseleya 9/11 Memorial
Dewitt 9/11 Memorial
Montclair State University 9/11 Memorial
East Newark 9/11 Memorial
Fair Haven 9/11 Memorial
Freehold Township 9/11 Living Memorial Tree Grove
Crescent Beach Park - Flagpole/Memorial for 9/11 Victims
Garrison Elementary School American Patriot Garden
Keansburg Beach Front Memorial
Reflections:
The New York Times Portraits of Grief
Biography:

James Brian Reilly, 25, of Manhattan who grew up in Huntington Station, was a bond trader at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

After the first hijacked plane struck the north tower, James Brian Reilly called his father and best friend from his office on the 89th floor of the south tower to say he was OK, according to one of his sisters, Christine Reilly. That was the last time he was heard from. The only item recovered was Reilly's identification badge, which the family donated to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Whether you had known James Reilly all your life or just met him for the first time, he had a way of making you feel special, Christine Reilly said.

"He cared. He listened," she said. "He was very genuine."

One year, she and her brother traveled to Atlanta, Ga. to attend a nephew's third birthday party, where a group of 3-year-olds mingled with their parents. James Reilly managed to squeeze his nearly 6-feet tall frame into a tiny, wooden, toy train, his sister said.

"He was just having a ball," she said. "The kids were eating it up."

Moments like those summed up her brother's short life. It's not how much money he earned, nor the accomplishments he achieved but how he touched other's lives that he'll be remembered for.

"Live well. Laugh often. Love much. Jim was the embodiment of that," she said. - Chau Lam