Adrienne O'Brien

When Dean Adrienne O'Brien extended her NYIT Art Department's Halloween party to me, an English Department instructor of Writing for the Arts & Architecture, I showed up as She-Ra, Princess of Power. I only wished I'd had some of her power. Respected and dignified, she fostered those qualities for Women at NYIT along with Marcia Singer, Dean of Students, at a time when there weren't many women associated and working with technology. Adrienne O'Brien afforded both dignity and respect to me,...

Adrienne and Helen Delpar were the stars at MCHS. I was privileged to be in their presence. They both went on to academic careers and Helen wrote a lot of books about history and migration. She was a Latin Americanist and a history professor at the U. of Alabama. I wrote to her about Gee's Bend. (quilters) and she wrote back. I raised four children, was a teacher and writer, but no competition for these two women.

Always admired Adrienne as a student at Cabrini H.S. Larger than life, smart as a whip.

AOB as I called her was my mentor and my friend. Truly, the smartest woman I have ever known. I would not have had the career I did without her guidance and friendship. She was truly one of a kind and will be missed by so many...