Martha "Marty" Mildred (Novotny) O'Reilly
Martha “Marty” Mildred (Novotny) O’Reilly, 90, died peacefully in the care of her children on May 23, 2025 in Bel Aire (Wichita), KS. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Frances (Janda) Novotny; 8 siblings; and her beloved husband of 66 years James “Jim” Bradford O’Reilly, Jr. She is survived by daughter, Karen (Mike) Arzamendi, Decatur, TX; and sons, David (Karin), McPherson, KS, Jeff, Cedaredge, CO, and Joe and John, Littleton, CO. She has 7 living grandchildren, 1 deceased; and 18 great-grandchildren.
Marty was born September 25, 1934 on the family farm near Chickasha, Oklahoma, as the youngest of 9 siblings, 7 who survived childhood. She was educated in Amber public schools and graduated from Amber High School in 1952. In 1956 she graduated from Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha with a degree in Home Economics.
She pursued a master’s degree in Clothing, Textiles and Merchandizing at Oklahoma A&M (now OSU) in Stillwater. Husband-to-be Jim O’Reilly was there just finishing his engineering degree. They married 1957 in Chickasha, OK. In their 66 years together they settled in Norman, OK, Kerrville, TX, again in Norman and Wichita, KS as Jim worked in the aerospace industry.
During this time Marty raised five kids and started her own home business making custom draperies. She was an expert seamstress and engaged in multiple arts including painting, beading, decoupage, home remodeling, furniture refinishing and reupholstering, stenciling, needlepoint, cross-stitch, embroidery, quilling (paper and foil), mat-cutting and framing, wreathing, gardening, floral arts (real & artificial), culinary arts and all things DIY before DIY was a “thing”.
Growing up on a farm as a full-blooded Czech, Marty used her knowledge and experience at every opportunity. Throughout her life she was active in her church and community. She volunteered as a florist at the St. Francis hospital, at the annual Villa Christi (retreat center) yard sale, for Altar Society, in the making of infant baptismal bibs, as a receptionist at the Wichita diocese Catholic Care Center and more.
In the 1960’s and 70’s Jim and Marty frequently took their children on summer vacations throughout the central and southwestern U.S. with a pop-up tent travel trailer. This gave their children a great appreciation of the outdoors, which is why 3 of the sons now reside in Colorado. In the late 1990’s Jim and Marty purchased a travel trailer and enjoyed camping out at remote flying fields where Jim’s model airplane contests were held. This was great enjoyment for them. In 1996 they spent a year of adventure in Savannah, GA, living with son Joe while Jim worked as a contractor, also alongside Joe, prior to Joe’s Colorado residency.
Rosary will be 6:00 pm, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, with Funeral Mass at 11:00 am, Thursday, May 29, 2025, both at Church of the Resurrection Catholic Church, 4910 N. Woodlawn, Wichita. Burial will follow in nearby Ascension Cemetery.
Memorials have been established with: Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, 313 S. Market, Wichita, KS 67202 and The Lord’s Diner, 520 N. Broadway St., Wichita, KS 67214.
Services in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.
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When our children were young, we visited Aunt Martha and Uncle Jim whenever David Lee had an art show in Wichita. She had a tray full of African violets blooming in pots on their TV. Once, as we were leaving, she handed me a violet and said, “Remember, plants don’t have souls. It’s OK to throw it away before it’s completely dead.” Words of wisdom from a practiced gardener. S Pánem Bohem, Aunt Martha.
Rest in peace, Grandma Marty. Eternal rest grant unto thee…. I jotted out these thoughts tonight, journaling, as I considered your legacy.
***
A simple gesture can make a profound impact.
In the hallway outside my bathroom, I’ve hung a holy water font. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about this small, ordinary bowl of holy water which hangs on my wall… It runs dry much of the time, forgotten and empty.
But it’s the first thing I see on the wall, each time I exit the restroom and resume my busy days… Occasionally, I will use the holy water font to dip my fingertips in, and call on Jesus by making the sign-of-the-cross, as I rush back to whatever need is most pressing.
For me, this holy water font is not a simple wall decoration. It was handed down to me from my grandparents, who raised their kids in the Catholic faith, whose son passed it down to me… while I try to instill the same faith in my own kids. It’s a powerful symbol of where I come from and who I am, and of the impact that I hope to leave behind.
I have not articulated told my children how special this holy water font is to me… Nor have I explained why I do the sign of the cross with its holy water as I pass by it. I’ve never directed my kids to do the same.
So when I noticed my 8-year-old daughter exit our bathroom, reach for the holy water font, and do the sign of the cross in her own private moment, it struck a cord with me. I had made the same gesture myself, quietly, unannounced, many times, not realizing that my daughter had ever witnessed my private moment. And now I quietly witnessed her doing the same.
The Catholic faith can feel complicated, full of jargon, rules, lots of words, and high, hard standards. But what I witnessed tonight was pure, heartfelt family tradition from a little girl who did not know she was being noticed.
How many times does our quiet, perhaps un-realized influence extend beyond our own homes? What positive impact might we have, in the privacy of our own homes or broader personal influence?
What a blessing it is to know this faith, this tradition and Catholic culture. Its so gratifying to trust that the Holy Spirit—and my family heritage—can strengthen me amidst the challenges or dry waters.
🙏Rest easy now knowing you are in God’s arms. You’ve raised a wonderful family and they, as well as friends, will hold your memories of time spent with you, your joy and laughter, so close to their hearts. Cindy Toman
Though our hearts are heavy, we take comfort in knowing she is now in the presence of our Lord, embraced by eternal peace and reunited with the loved ones who’ve gone before her. We love you, Grandma Marty. Thank you for everything. Please watch over us, and keep praying for us. 💙✝️