Sallie Elizabeth O'Brien

Sallie Elizabeth O'Brien, aged 98 years, a long-time Burlingame resident, peacefully passed away at-home, on July 6, 2024, leaving a legacy of kindness and love for all of God's creatures. Born in 1926 in Watertown, New York to Leo and Sabine Redmond, she enjoyed the dramatic seasonal changes upstate New York provides. Summers were spent with extended family on Howe Island, Canada, enjoying farm life, chores, and laughing at narrow escapes from angry range bulls. It was there that she developed her love of animals and kept several pets. Watertown, often identified as the coldest location in the nation, provided skiing, figure skating, and sledding opportunities. Sallie vividly described the pain of being hit on the ankle by a hockey puck and the terror of her father driving across frozen rivers to save a bridge toll. "I could hear the ice cracking under the car," she recounted. Sallie went to Immaculate Heart Academy, graduating in 1944. A gifted artist, she drew portraits, landscapes, and cartoons. Occasionally an instructor's caricature was discovered, causing mild unease. She would develop more sophisticated artistic skills later in life.

After graduation, Sallie was employed at the New York Airbrake facility in Watertown but in 1949 took a leave of absence, relocating to San Francisco to help with her sister Mary Jane Ball's newborn baby. Soon afterward, parents Leo and Sabine also moved to California. She was employed as an early computer operator for the State Compensation Fund. In 1954 Sallie married William R. O'Brien, a civil and structural engineer employed by the City of San Francisco. When children came along she became a homemaker. Always a gardener, she was a member of the San Francisco Rose Society, growing a beautiful rose garden. In 1970, the family relocated to Burlingame and her rose and vegetable gardens improved greatly with warmer weather. Better weather meant better tomato growing conditions, and toasted tomato sandwiches, invented by Sallie, are a prized family tradition. It was then that Sallie enrolled in community college, where her artistic talents were further developed. She studied and excelled in many artistic pursuits. Hobbies included sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, furniture upholstery, ceramic pottery and sculpture, and rug hooking. Many of her products were worn, slept under, or adorn family members' homes. Oil painting was her favorite medium and she would often travel with sister Mary Jane to paint scenic locations using portable artist supplies. Sallie's paintings were regularly displayed at the county fairs and she happily took a few ribbon prizes. In addition to family vacations across the United States, Sallie and William vacationed in Europe, Hawaii, and the Caribbean until William's death in 1987. Sallie continued travels with her sister and cousins visiting Egypt's Great Pyramids, Turkey, Greece, Mexico, and many other destinations.

Sallie O'Brien is survived by daughter Susan (Mark) Charles of Millbrae, sons Timothy (Kathy) O'Brien of Fair Oaks, CA, and Matthew O'Brien of Burlingame, grandson Kevin (Jing) Charles of Kent, WA, and granddaughter Tara Charles of Oakland. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the SPCA in her memory.