Barbara M. O’Brien

O’Brien, Barbara M. Age  85, passed away on September 20, 2013 in Hingham, Massachusetts. 

Born in Boston to William and Marie Ahern, Barbara grew up in East Boston and summered in North Weymouth, MA.  She attended Fitton Notre Dame High School, Boston University and graduated from Burdett College.  

Married in 1951 to Joseph Thomas O’Brien; together they lived in Lee Hall, VA; Braintree, MA; Morris Plains, NJ; Mashpee on Cape Cod and in 2005, Barbara moved to Hingham, MA.

She was involved with the PTA at the Watson School from the 1950’s through the early 70’s.  She was a member of the Braintree Yacht Club Ladies Auxiliary.

In 1973, Barbara and Joe moved to Morris Plains, where Barbara was the Court Clerk.  She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Morris Plains Volunteer Fire Department and volunteered with the American Red Cross for many years.  She was a parishioner of St. Virgil’s Church.  In 1996, Joe and Barbara retired to Mashpee.  

She was known for her pleasant and outgoing personality.  She loved being on or near the sea.  When traveling near a beach or over a bridge she would encourage her children to roll the windows of the car down, take a deep breath and fill their lungs with salt air.  This, she believed, could cleanse the soul. 

Barbara was predeceased by her husband who died in 2000.  She is survived by her children: Virginia Lyon and her husband Richard (Galloway, NJ), Joseph Thomas, Jr. (Jay) and his wife Judy (Scituate, MA), William and his wife Kathy (Pasadena, MD),  Christopher and his wife Lyrissa (Morristown, NJ), Kenneth (Long Valley, NJ), Nancy Caputo and her husband John (Morristown, NJ);  and by her brother, William H. Ahern  (Melrose, MA), dear cousins, Alice  Healy and Grace Ricard,  brothers-in-law, Paul (Kingston, MA) and Robert (Plymouth, MA); 10 grandchildren, Blair, Corey, Keeghan, Gregory, Darcy, Kerry, Kailey, Klaire, Joseph and Elizabeth.  Also, she is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Wednesday  September 25, 2013 from 4-8 PM in the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), HINGHAM.  A  Funeral Mass will be celebrated in Christ the King Church, 3 Job’s Fishing Road,  Mashpee, MA,  Thursday September 26, 2013 at 11 AM. Burial in Massachusetts  National Cemetery, Bourne. 

In Lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, P.O. Box 4527, New York, NY, 10163 or www.nationalmssociety.org.