William A. Reilly '47

Bill Reilly, U.S. Navy, 1945

William A. Reilly '47 will celebrate his centennial birthday on July 5. A lifelong devoted Bruin, "Bill" remains active, healthy and exceptionally sharp and still watches every Bruin game on TV. Born in Los Angeles in 1923, he grew up near W. 51st St. and Western Ave. and attended St. Brigid School (barely five years old in the first grade), Horace Mann Jr. High and Washington High School, before enrolling at UCLA in September 1940, in the footsteps of his older sister Mary Jane Reilly '42.

Reilly recalls campus life in the early 1940's: "In those days there were no dorms on the campus. You either walked, drove or took the bus to class and had to cross over the gully with the bridge that connected the campus from Hilgard Ave. Tuition was $25 per semester and for an extra $4 you could go to all the athletic events, mostly football, but you were required to wear a blue and yellow beanie, a white shirt, and sit in the section where you were part of the half-time card stunts." His favorite player was quarterback Woody Strode, because "he always got back up quickly after being tackled."

"There were maybe seven total buildings on campus then, plus the women's and men's gym buildings near the base of Janss steps,” Reilly adds. "All the male students were required to attend ROTC at the men's gym."

Reilly was on track to graduate in 1944 but World War II came and the U.S. Navy called him up. He signed into the Navy in July 1943 and was sent to Columbia University Midshipmen’s Training, graduating the following February.

Lula and Bill Reilly, 1994

He was put aboard a minesweeper and attended Mine Warfare School in Norfolk, Virginia before being sent off to Europe to sweep mines in the Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of France and England. He became captain of a minesweeper at the age of 21 and has never forgotten the motto of a minesweeper’s crew: “Wherever the fleet goes, we’ve been!” After the German surrender he was sent to Pearl Harbor, Guam, the Philippines and Japan. He was finally sent home in 1946 and later promoted to lieutenant during the Cold War.

In 1950 Reilly married "the prettiest girl in Los Angeles," Lula Rabasa, from Inglewood High. They settled in Tustin, California, and together raised six kids, all whom would later graduate from a UC Campus. Reilly was always involved with their school activities, sporting events and booster clubs for over four decades, and the family enjoyed summer vacations with memorable road trips to all the national parks in the West.

Reilly in 2004

Reilly worked for 42 years in casualty insurance and almost never missed a day of work. He and Lula moved to Laguna Niguel and he retired in 1989. They were married for over 67 years and traveled the world together in their later years. After retirement, Reilly made a strict habit of going to the gym early every morning for many years, a routine he now credits as leading to his remarkable longevity. He still resides in Laguna Niguel and is deeply loved by his six children and their spouses, four grandchildren (one who recently graduated from UCLA) and 2 great-grandchildren. His long and well-lived life will always be an inspiration to them. And he will always be a Bruin.

Happy 100th birthday, Mr. Reilly, from your Alumni Association!