Kathleen M O'Brien

Kathleen O’Leary O’Brien, 93, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and aunt, left us peacefully on July 25, 2025.  She would have celebrated her 94th birthday on August 7th.

Born in New York City during The Great Depression to proud Irish immigrants, Patrick and Hannah (Singleton) O’Leary, Kathleen moved to Ireland in 1933 after her parents decided to go back ‘to the old country’ when Patrick, a marble setter who worked at iconic buildings such as the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and The Empire Stare Building, could no longer find work.  Kathleen grew up on a farm in Kanturk, County Cork, Ireland, until wanderlust drew her back to New York City and she began her remarkable journey to America and crossed the Atlantic by herself at fifteen years old in 1947.  Her parents and four siblings followed later that year and settled as a family in their beloved Bronx. 

Kathleen’s professional career began as a bookkeeper at Dana Hall Insurance, located on William Street in lower Manhattan.  She worked there for nine years until her first child was born.  In 1953 she started dating John O’Brien after he returned from Korea; they married in 1957.  Kathleen and John moved to Garnerville in 1960 to raise their growing family. When John left Liberty Mutual to start his own business, Kathleen used her ‘back-office’ knowledge of the insurance industry and worked by John’s side to build the Jack O’Brien Agency together. In 1974 she began a new career as a medical transcriptionist at the Medical Surgical unit at Letchworth Village and remained there until she retired from the State of New York in 1996.  During her retirement, Kathleen made many fond memories centered on her family and friends. She enjoyed traveling with them and proudly attended her grandchildren’s feats in sports, Irish step dancing competitions, dance recitals, and school plays. As an active member of the West Haverstraw Seniors, she formed many dear friendships in her later years and enjoyed trips to exciting new places, near and far. She resided in her home in Garnerville for sixty-three years until she moved to Arbor Terrace in Basking Ridge, N.J. last year.

Kathleen is survived by her children, Kathleen, Eileen, Jack & Mary (DePasquale) O’Brien; her grandchildren, Courtney (O’Brien) & Kevin Burke; Karly (O’Brien) & Brian Corley; Tara (O’Brien) & Alex Baer; Shae O’Brien; Kylie Hoffman; and Declan Hoffman; and her four great-grandchildren, Megan and Bridget Burke, Finn Baer; and Reece Corley; her sister, Eileen Jamieson; her brothers, Jerry (Mickey) O’Leary and Denis O’Leary; sisters-in-law, Donna O’Leary and Maureen O’Brien Heitmann; and many nieces and nephews.  Kathleen was pre-deceased by her parents, Patrick & Hannah O’Leary; her son, Michael O’Brien; and her brother, Patrick O’Leary. 

Fiercely devoted to her family and faith, Kathleen lived her life with courage and integrity. Her children and their families are her proud legacy.

Visitation will take place on Thursday, July 31s from 4 to 8 p.m. at T. J. McGowan’s, 71 N Central Hwy, Garnerville, N.Y.  A Mass of Christian Buriel will be celebrated on Friday, August 1st at 11 am at St. Gregory Barbarigo Church, 21 Cinder Road, Garnerville, N.Y.  Internment will follow at Ascension Cemetery, Airmont, N.Y.

Kathleen’s family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to her favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – a memorial fundraising page has been set up in her honor; or to Grace Healthcare Services, 105 Fieldcrest Ave., Suite 402, Edison, N.J. 08837.  Special thanks to the care givers at Arbor Terrace and Grace Hospice for giving our mother the respect and dignity she deserved at the end of her life.  We are grateful.