Millicent "Dadee" Reilly

Millicent (“Dadee”) Reilly, a longtime resident of St. Paul and, later, Roseville, MN, passed away quickly and without pain on February 10, 2024, in Tucson, AZ. She was 92 years old, 67 of which were spent with her husband, George, who survives her. She leaves two beautiful daughters, Laura Roller (Martin) and Theresa Reilly, and two beloved grandchildren, Dan Roller (Carla O’Connell) and Emma Schoenhard (Alex).

Dadee was born in Minnesota but spent her first twelve years in McLaughlin, South Dakota, on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, where her grandfather managed a lumber yard for Northern Pacific Railway. She moved with her parents to Brookings, SD where she went to high school, and then college at South Dakota State University, also in Brookings. She earned a master's degree in Drama from the University of Iowa.

Dadee loved music and had a superb soprano voice. She starred in musicals in college and graduate school; sang in church choirs for decades; and composed religious choral anthems which were published in the U.S. and abroad.

A talented teacher, Dadee was one of few who taught at the grade school, high school, and college levels at various times in her career.

Dadee had many friends in St. Anthony Park, Roseville and Duluth, MN, and Green Valley, AZ, where she and George wintered for the last two decades. A sister-in-law once observed that “Everyone is either Dadee’s friend or wants to be.”

Dadee was interred at Roselawn Cemetery in early March and a celebration of her life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 18 at St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, 2323 Como Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108. 

Memorial gifts to DRCC, 5629 Grand Avenue, Duluth, MN 55807 or St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church.