Mary Ellen O'Brien

Mary Ellen O'Brien passed peacefully February 23, 2025 at home after a long struggle with dementia. Her son and daughter were at her bedside when had her final moments. She will be sorely missed, truly one of the good ones who gave more than she took and worked hard for what she had, caring for her family before herself.

Mary Ellen was born in Minneapolis in 1936 to Edward and Francis Irving. She grew up in NE Minneapolis and graduated St. Margaret's High School. She completed 1 year of college at St. Catherine's before she married James Richard O'Brien. She work for many years at Donaldson's as the President's personal secretary while she worked her husband when he founded O'Brien Construction. They adopted two children, Colin and Cristin before they divorced after 13 years together. While raising her children, Mary Ellen went forward to attend and graduate Metropolitan University with a B.A. She then worked as a paralegal for Control Data in the 1970's on a case that was the first to use a supercomputer for the document database. In the 1980's she worked for Carlson Companies where she Head of Legal Personnel. She retired from there and kept working part time for Ecolab into her late 70's. Mary Ellen enjoyed her work and was fascinated by the law, it's workings and it's wisdom. She really loved jazz and served on the board of the Jazz Society of MN. She traveled to Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe several times with her friends and long time partner Russell Moore. Provence France and Jamaica were her favorite places to explore. She enjoyed swimming, skiing and above all walking, especially in her later years. After retirement she pursued painting, attending classes with her friends often and becoming skilled in watercolor/acrylic paints.

She is survived by her brother Thomas Irving, son Colin James O'Brien, daughter Cristin Mary O'Brien, grandson Bradley James Ketola, granddaugter Tara Nicole Ketola and great-grandchildren Nevaeh Skye Johnson and Denver Halo Johnson, niece Coreen (Alex) Romany, nephew Michael Cahill and niece Cathee (Chad) Steeves. She was preceded in death by her father Edward Joseph Irving , mother Francis Catherine Irving and sister Patricia Catherine Cahill.

A private gathering of friends and family to celebrate her life will be held in March 2025. If you knew her please say a prayer and remember her kindness, strength and humor.