Mary Elizabeth (Mills) O'Brien
Obituary

Mary E. O'Brien, 88, of Sycamore, formerly of DeKalb, Illinois, passed away on February 18, 2025, at the DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center.

She was born on August 22, 1936, at St. Mary's Hospital in DeKalb, IL, to J. Carrol and Alice (Everhart) Mills. Mary attended St. Mary's Grade School and graduated from DeKalb Township High School in 1954. Relationships forged at these schools lasted a lifetime, and these friends provided great support right until the end.

On December 27, 1954, Mary married her high school sweetheart, Thomas E. O'Brien. They were married for 66 years until Tom's passing on January 4, 2021. Mary worked for a short time at Northern Illinois State Teachers College before she and Tom were blessed with their first child in 1956. They would add five more children to their family, spanning until 1970.

Mary focused much of her time on her children. She encouraged them to pursue their passions and took an active role in supporting their activities, especially in sports. Summer vacations often revolved around baseball games, swim meets, and track and field competitions. Her love and support extended to her 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Outside of her children's activities, Mary found time to engage in other pursuits. She was a lifelong Cubs fan and a devoted member of the Junior Catholic Daughters and Catholic Daughters of the Americas for over 70 years. She worked at countless Salad Bar Luncheons and Style Shows at the church. Mary also enjoyed playing bridge and was a member of two bridge clubs for over 45 years. She and Tom were active members of the Elks Club for many years. In retirement, they traveled the country, particularly enjoying the entertainment in Nashville and Las Vegas. However, Mary's greatest joy was gathering with friends and family, sharing warm moments and laughter.

Mary is survived by five of her six children:

●      Terri (Mark) Pheanis of Geneva, IL, and their children Erin (Matthew) Gidley, Sean (Sessa), and Kasie Pheanis

●      Tom O'Brien Jr. of Davenport, IA

●      Tim (Denise Coquillette) O'Brien of DeKalb, IL and Denise's son Jake Suddeth

●      Susie Kim of Chicago, IL, and her children Brian (Kimberly) and Brett Kim

●      Pat (Andrea) O'Brien of Sycamore, IL, and their children Joe, Kelly, and Maire O'Brien

Mary was preceded in death by her daughter, Marybeth McGill. She is survived by Marybeth's children: Drew, Lauren (Ryan Hetchler), and Kate Taylor.

She is also survived by two sisters, Judi (Kurt) Trieselmann of West Covina, CA, and Donna Panttila of Oakhurst, CA; brother-in-law Jay Ward of DeKalb; as well as numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Tom, her sisters Carolyn Ziegler and Kathie Butler, her mother-in-law Shirley O'Brien, father-in-law Charles O'Brien, brother-in-law Chuck O'Brien, sisters-in-law Shirley Oakland and Betty Ward, and her infant triplet grandchildren: Yvonne, Andrew, and Mary Pheanis.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 10:30am-12:45pm at Finch Funeral Home in DeKalb. Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 1:00pm at St. Mary Catholic Church in DeKalb with Father Dean Russell officiating. Burial will be held immediately following the Mass at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery in DeKalb. In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to St. Mary Catholic Church in DeKalb or St. Jude's Hospital. Arrangements were entrusted to Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL 60115 815-758-3841.