TM Forum Distinguished Fellow John Reilly’s legacy lives on
Sadly, John Reilly passed away in Plano, Texas on July 2. His legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of TM Forum and the industry we serve, from his instrumental role in developing the Information Framework, to the eight books he authored on TM Forum Frameworx, to all those he influenced when teaching his infamous training courses. He will be dearly missed.
10 Jul 2019
TM Forum Distinguished Fellow John Reilly’s legacy lives on
As many TM Forum members know, one individual can make an amazing impact when they are passionate enough – and John Reilly was exemplary of this type of passion and drive.
While John sadly passed away in Plano, Texas on July 2, his legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of TM Forum and the industry we serve, from his instrumental role in developing the Information Framework, to the eight books he authored on TM Forum Frameworx, to all those he influenced when teaching his infamous training courses, and ultimately to those who enjoyed reading his blogs about Frameworx, food and travel here on Inform.
While John sadly passed away in Plano, Texas on July 2, his legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of TM Forum and the industry we serve, from his instrumental role in developing the Information Framework, to the eight books he authored on TM Forum Frameworx, to all those he influenced when teaching his infamous training courses, and ultimately to those who enjoyed reading his blogs about Frameworx, food and travel here on Inform.
John worked with TM Forum as a member, trainer and collaborative leader since 1997 and during that time was a cornerstone in the creation and continuous development of the NGOSS and later Frameworx suites of standards – most notably, development of the Information Framework (SID) – now commonly accepted as the universal standard for information modelling across the industry, and a key part of TM Forum’s Open API Program and the Open Digital Framework.
As a TM Forum Subject Matter Expert, he trained hundreds of professional students around the world, while also finding time to lead continuous development of the Information Framework. In 2017, he received a TM Forum Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership and contribution to the industry.
“John was and will always be a pivotal figure in the Forum’s history, and a much admired and missed colleague,” says Nik Willetts, CEO, TM Forum. “John was one of the most decorated individuals in the Forum’s history. As an industry, we owe him a debt of gratitude for his global impact. As a Forum, we plan to create a new special award in John’s memory in the coming months. More personally, John was quite simply a true gentleman and made an impact wherever he went. With a passion for cooking and travelling, he was a unique blend of patient, kind and persistent in his convictions – something we can all learn from.”
TM Forum’s Founder, Keith Willetts, adds, “John was one of the critical rocks on which the Forum was founded. His knowledge, tenacity and easy-going manner helped create, and perhaps more importantly, popularize many of the Forum’s technical assets. He was a fantastic ambassador as everywhere he went people respected his depth and breadth of technical knowledge, which enhanced our standing around the world. He was also a real Southern gent, always polite and congenial, and while a street fighter for his point of view, he was always respectful.”
Regarding John’s role in training, Martin Creaner, Author and former TM Forum President, adds, “John spent many years training member companies on NGOSS, Frameworx, SID, eTOM, etc., and was in huge demand from every company he dealt with. His knowledge was encyclopedic, and as you generally find with people who really understand a topic, he was able to make it consumable by audiences of all levels of expertise. He was also such a well-liked character that company after company would go to great lengths to secure John as their trainer.”
John’s long-time friend and colleague, Ken Dilbeck, Vice President of Collaborative R&D, TM Forum, says, “John lived life with passion and conviction. The way he cared about the Information Framework, his students and preparing the industry for digital transformation was second to none. He will be sorely missed by the industry and especially me. To a life well lived, you did good, John.”
As a TM Forum member, Laurent Leboucher, Vice President, Architecture, Enablers and Security, Orange, often worked closely with John. “John was passionate and extremely profound," he says. “His contribution to the frameworks and to the Information Model is huge. He was also very humane, helpful and kind. The Orange team is sad to lose a TM Forum visionary, a profound engineer and a very friendly colleague.”
John was also a trained actor, performed in community theater and loved to talk about the time he appeared on an episode of the TV show “Dallas.”
During his retirement, John’s caring nature and personal conviction expanded through his work in animal welfare. He was President of the Board and Director of Marketing for Texas CARES, a non-profit, no-kill animal welfare organization for abandoned and unwanted cats and kittens in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In lieu of flowers, his family has requested donations in John’s memory to TexasCARES.
Many of us here at the Forum have fond memories of working with John over the years. In writing this piece I had conversations with a number of colleagues about his work and how he was exemplary of the Forum’s community. One with Cindy Tiritilli, Head of Membership Renewals, stands out.
“Membership organizations like the Forum are magnets for people who want to make their passions come to life,” she says. “John definitely did that – this was his vehicle to make big things happen.”
We’ll miss you John – and we promise to keep making big things happen for you.
We welcome your fond memories of John on our Community page. Comments will be compiled and shared with his family.
As a TM Forum Subject Matter Expert, he trained hundreds of professional students around the world, while also finding time to lead continuous development of the Information Framework. In 2017, he received a TM Forum Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership and contribution to the industry.
Fond memories
“John was and will always be a pivotal figure in the Forum’s history, and a much admired and missed colleague,” says Nik Willetts, CEO, TM Forum. “John was one of the most decorated individuals in the Forum’s history. As an industry, we owe him a debt of gratitude for his global impact. As a Forum, we plan to create a new special award in John’s memory in the coming months. More personally, John was quite simply a true gentleman and made an impact wherever he went. With a passion for cooking and travelling, he was a unique blend of patient, kind and persistent in his convictions – something we can all learn from.”
TM Forum’s Founder, Keith Willetts, adds, “John was one of the critical rocks on which the Forum was founded. His knowledge, tenacity and easy-going manner helped create, and perhaps more importantly, popularize many of the Forum’s technical assets. He was a fantastic ambassador as everywhere he went people respected his depth and breadth of technical knowledge, which enhanced our standing around the world. He was also a real Southern gent, always polite and congenial, and while a street fighter for his point of view, he was always respectful.”
Regarding John’s role in training, Martin Creaner, Author and former TM Forum President, adds, “John spent many years training member companies on NGOSS, Frameworx, SID, eTOM, etc., and was in huge demand from every company he dealt with. His knowledge was encyclopedic, and as you generally find with people who really understand a topic, he was able to make it consumable by audiences of all levels of expertise. He was also such a well-liked character that company after company would go to great lengths to secure John as their trainer.”
John’s long-time friend and colleague, Ken Dilbeck, Vice President of Collaborative R&D, TM Forum, says, “John lived life with passion and conviction. The way he cared about the Information Framework, his students and preparing the industry for digital transformation was second to none. He will be sorely missed by the industry and especially me. To a life well lived, you did good, John.”
As a TM Forum member, Laurent Leboucher, Vice President, Architecture, Enablers and Security, Orange, often worked closely with John. “John was passionate and extremely profound," he says. “His contribution to the frameworks and to the Information Model is huge. He was also very humane, helpful and kind. The Orange team is sad to lose a TM Forum visionary, a profound engineer and a very friendly colleague.”
What you may not know about John
John was also a trained actor, performed in community theater and loved to talk about the time he appeared on an episode of the TV show “Dallas.”
During his retirement, John’s caring nature and personal conviction expanded through his work in animal welfare. He was President of the Board and Director of Marketing for Texas CARES, a non-profit, no-kill animal welfare organization for abandoned and unwanted cats and kittens in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In lieu of flowers, his family has requested donations in John’s memory to TexasCARES.
Many of us here at the Forum have fond memories of working with John over the years. In writing this piece I had conversations with a number of colleagues about his work and how he was exemplary of the Forum’s community. One with Cindy Tiritilli, Head of Membership Renewals, stands out.
“Membership organizations like the Forum are magnets for people who want to make their passions come to life,” she says. “John definitely did that – this was his vehicle to make big things happen.”
We’ll miss you John – and we promise to keep making big things happen for you.
We welcome your fond memories of John on our Community page. Comments will be compiled and shared with his family.
