Mary Louise O'Brien

Mary Louise (Shannon) O’Brien, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on February 19, 2025, surrounded by family and friends. She was 96 years young! Mary was preceded in death by her husband and love of her life, Fred.

A native of Medford Massachusetts, she was born on February 17, 1929, to the late William J. and Mary L. (Flynn) Shannon.

Mary met the love of her life Fredrick O’Brien at a Christmas Dance! Within a year, the love birds were married in the fall of 54’. Every Saturday was date night. Dinner and dancing were always on the agenda (along with saying the Holy Rosary during the drive).

Fred passed away unexpectedly at the age of 37, leaving her alone with seven young children. Mary stayed true to their motto “the family that prays together – stays together”. Mary created a home that was warm, welcoming and open to all. She dedicated her life to raising her children. The inheritance she passed on was not silver and gold. Faith is our legacy!

In 1975 she started attending college! She began working for the phone company (again). Among her accomplishments: Mary and her daughter Terri were the first mother-daughter Computer Programmers at team New England Telephone Co. She retired at 62, to care for her mother. She was up on current affairs, involved in helping others, supporting prayer lines, pilgrimages abroad, dancing, driving in convertibles, and bargain hunting!

She LOVED her children, Rose Platt, Betty Doherty and her husband Bill, Terri Hanley and her husband Tim, Cathy Allan, Paul O’Brien and his wife Jane, Frederick O’Brien and his wife Martha, and Bill O’Brien. She was the adored grandmother of Shannon and her husband Eric, Michael and his wife Ellen, David and his wife Chrissy, Joseph, Kevin and his fiancée Kelsey, Danielle and her husband Matt, Anna, Tim, Sean, Nicole, Brianna, Jack, Danny, and Freddy Joe. She was the great grandmother of Katherine, Benjamin, Hailey, Emily, Joshua, Olivia, and Aiden. She was predeceased in death by her sister and her husband Harry and Kathleen Timmons, brother, Robert Shannon, and sister Mildred Stickney. She is survived by her sister and brother-in-law Ernie and Eleanor Walker and sister-in-law Carolyn Shannon.

Her powerful faith and zest for life was passed down to her family and will continue ever onwards.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 25th at 11:30AM in Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church, 24 Conant St. Danvers. Burial will follow in Annunciation Cemetery, Danvers. Visitation will be held prior to the Mass from 10-11AM at C.R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Directors, and 28 Elm St. Danvers. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary’s name to charities dear to her heart to The Saint Francis House at https://stfrancishouse.org or The Carthusian Monastery at www.Carthusiansusa.org.

You may also live stream Mary’s Funeral Mass at https://streamography.com/pages/mary-louise-obrien-funeral-service-livestream