Eugene O'Brien Obituary

Cousin Gene was special and affectecd me in ways he never knew. Being the youngest of the Kennefick/Downey cousins, cousin Gene would come to visit my parents and his uncle/aunt John/Susanna Kennefick. Those were special visits. As a child, I would get to sit on his lap. He would bring Barbara (first wife) whom he was dating at the time. She passed "inspection" for her sweet and gentle nature and for being Lithuanian as was my mother. Two Lithuanians among all those Irish! On my fourth Christmas, Gene brought me a Santa Christmas bank. It was very special because it came from cousin Gene. While off at college, came the inevitable parental cleanout with many of my childhood possessions being passed on for others to enjoy. I missed the cousin Gene bank, and some years later located an identical one in an antique store, and it now has special status in our home at Christmas with fond rememberances of cousin Gene and those visits. On another visit, (age 4), Gene took me to sit in a private plane and he told he was going to fly it. I remembered all those buttons and dials and was awestruck. On the day I turned five, cousin Gene crashed that private plane into a farmer's barn during a thunderstorm and I learned of this while watching TV. I cried my eyes out and was only comforted when I learned that he was okay. I vowed never to set foot in a private plane. I think cousin Gene gave up flying after that. Thirty years later, my husband Michael a pilot wanted me to go up with him and it took his systematic desensitization to break my fear. I learned that my fear was related to the thought of losing someone dear to me. As in all families we have shared happy and sad times and oh those Irish stories. On my last visit with cousin Gene during the loss of a family member, he brought me a book on the Irish in Chicago to assist in our family genealogy. I was very touched by this gift. I will dearly miss my cousin Gene for his kindness and generosity of spirit and the joy he brought to my life. May you rest in peace dear cousin of The Greatest Generation. My thoughts, prayers and feelings are with you Marge, Mark and Patrick.

Much love, Cousin Susan

My favorite reason for it to be Wednesday at the library was Mr. O'Brien. He came in with his cheerful greeting and went on to find his favorite war videos and then he came back and chatted with me for about an hour. I learned about his experiences in WW2, and of his favorite experiences while travelling to Hawaii. He even had me write down some specifics in case I ever had the opportunity to visit.
On his last trip to the library, I suggested he talk with another staff member about his experiences in the Coast Guard, he finally said he would and after relaying his experiences to her, he came back to me about 45 minutes later and said he was glad he talked to her. He showed me his favorite picture of a whale and then he said he was looking forward to visiting next week. Please accept my deepest sympathy. He was a fun, and very bright spot in my day.
Rest in Peace, Mr. O'Brien.

Mr. O'Brien was a regular patron of the Cook Memorial Library. He loved to talk about his veteran status and was impressed when I told him I too am a veteran! Every time he came in for movies, he greeted me with a strong, cheery "Hello, young lady!" We added many classic war movies to our collection based on his suggestions. He was in on Wed., 11/7, tall and confident as always and with his usual greeting. I had no idea he might be ailing. I will really miss him.