Tom Reilley, Hilton Head icon and founder of St. Patty's Day Parade passes away at 78
His restaurant empire spans eight restaurants with 11 locations on Hilton Head Island, including The Crazy Crab, Benny's Coastal Kitchen, and The Old Oyster Factory.
In March, Tom's wife Diane Reilley told The Island Packet that he had been in intensive care since mid-February.
A celebration of life is planned for Tom, with the date to be determined, according to Brendan.
Brendan said his father was a 'great man.' He had seven children but was 'a father figure to so many more.'
Tom and wife Diane opened their first restaurant, Reilley's Grill and Bar, in 1982, the same year the the four-lane fixed span bridge was built to Hilton Head Island. His restaurant business grew with the increasing popularity of the area to both visitors and a growing population of local residents.
The restauranteur also founded Hilton Head's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade that just celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.
He was awarded the John Curry Tourism Award by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce in 2018.
Veteran Island Packet columnist David Lauderdale wrote in March of this year when Tom's wife Diane was named grand marshal of the 40th annual parade, 'The parade has grown like the Reilley family, and like their business that today is known as Coastal Restaurants and Bars. With various investors and partners, the group now has 11 restaurants, including the two Crazy Crab locations, Benny's Coastal Kitchen, the Old Oyster Factory, and Fish Camp locations on Hilton Head and in the town of Port Royal outside of Beaufort.'
Lauderdale continued in his March column about the couple, 'Diane and Tom came from Rhode Island in 1977, with no plans to stay on Hilton Head, a place with a swing-span bridge and one traffic light. They weren't yet married, and they had no game plan. But it was February and they were glad to get away from the cold. They stayed with Tom's late sister Mary Rankin and her husband Bill, then a golf pro.'
'They got married by a justice of the peace in Charleston, and later celebrated it with a ceremony at Holy Family Catholic Church. They bought their own place down the street from Mary in the Squiresgate neighborhood, and Tom bought a vintage red Mustang convertible, which became his pride and joy.'
'He treated everyone he met like one of his own,' Brendan wrote in a text message Friday. 'He cared about the community, his friends and his family. He will be missed dearly.'
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