Slan go Foil – Goodbye Slainte Mhaith – Good Health
The Kings Park American Legion was packed to the rafters Tuesday night with life-long Kings Park residents, business owners, politicians and fellow American Legion members.
They gathered to big farewell to the unofficial Mayor and first Grand Marshal of the Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Mattie O’Reilly.
Legislator Rob Trotta presented Mattie with a Proclamation from the County. Proclamations are something it seems Mattie collects as he has received quite a few in his day. Supervisor Patrick Vecchio got up to give him yet another Proclamation – it was an enormously humorous one joking about the number of Proclamations and costs therein for ink, paper etc. The entire crowd was roaring. Vecchio joked that all Mattie’s proclamations have put a drain on the Town Budget. When Mattie posed with the Supervisor for a photo the jokes did not stop. “Get you hand out of my
pocket you got enough of my money,” he said.
The Supervisor then had former Councilman Kevin Malloy read the serious version.
Vecchio had nothing but the kindest of words for Mattie. “He always seemed to be the guy who solved all the problems, I can tell you all the goodness of this man, I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” he shared. “He is what’s good about life and human beings,” he added.
When Vecchio said he was given a Proclamation for being the First Grand Marshal of the Parade, Mattie quickly replied, I sold it! Laughter abound, without A/C the crowd was warm but jubilant.
Mattie O’Reilly is headed to Florida to live with his son. He has resided in Kings Park almost all of his nine-two years. He served this great nation in WWII and has a host of medals to prove it. A humble man, he’ll never speak of his many accomplishments. He once worked at the Kings Park Psychiatric Center and was a fellow scribe, he put out the newsletter for the hospital. He was married to his wife Helen for fifty-nine years.
“When Eddie McElhone (the owner of Clayton’s funeral home) calls and says how are you doing Mattie, I say fine and click I hang up” he shared. “I see you back there,” he joked.
Gerry Creighton (former Grand Marshall of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade herself) presented Mattie with a Shillalagh (a wooden stick used to walk, an Irish cane). Mattie got emotional as did many in the crowd.
It was a beautiful night with laughter abound but it was also quite sad as many had to bid their friend farewell. Vecchio said it best – Mattie O’Reily is what’s good about life and human beings!