JoAnne R. (Myers) O'Brien

JoAnne R. (Myers) O’Brien, 83, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Friday, March 5, 2021.  She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Gary P. O’Brien; her daughters and their spouses, Kathleen and David Cassidy of Westford and Maureen and Joseph Royal of Littleton; her sons and their spouses, Daniel and Lee O’Brien of Lunenberg, Timothy and Karen O’Brien of Coconut Creek, FL and Michael and Ann O’Brien of Worcester; her grandchildren: Kendra, Kelly, Kyle, Jessica, Corey, Joey, Brendon, Katie and Erin; her great-grandchildren: Corbin and Mina; a brother Kenneth Myers and his wife Lisa of Salishan Beach, OR; a sister Christine Myers of Waddell, AZ along with several nieces, nephews, cousins and cherished friends.  She was predeceased by her siblings Robert Myers and Margaret Sereda and her dogs and faithful companions Ginger, Molly and Kiley.

The daughter of the late Robert and Ann (Picard) Myers, JoAnne was born and raised in Sterling, IL, where she attended Joliet Catholic Academy from elementary to high school.  She was called to become a Joliet Franciscan, joining the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate where she and her sisters taught children and adults of various ministries.  Fatefully, her family would relocate to Fullerton, CA where she met the love of her life and “honey” Gary.  They married April 27, 1957, started their family, and traveled the country before settling in Marlborough for many joyful years.  She was lovingly referred to as “The Matriarch and The Saint” and she was the constant supportive fixture in her five children’s lives.  From the beginning Joanne was heavily involved with their education and all their extracurricular activities, and could be found diligently keeping baseball scores with the Optimist Club.  An incredibly devoted grandmother and great-grandmother, her grandkids were the greatest joy of her life.  Always in front row attendance for all of their sporting events, she travelled the country from the snowy capital of Canada all the way to the sunny beaches of Miami.  JoAnne could be found on the tennis court or cycling through the neighborhood in a perfectly coordinated outfit.  O’Brien family gatherings were in abundance, as were the drinks, laughs, sea stories, Scattergories games, and competitive matches of bocci.  Her family’s memories are filled with baskets full of blueberries on summer days, the smell of homemade bread wafting from the kitchen, waiting for a pan of her famous frosted brownies to cool, and the traditional reading of “Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree” to her grandkids.  JoAnne’s kind spirit and unconditional loving nature left an eternal impact on all those she met and she will be greatly missed.

All are invited to attend a Celebration of JoAnne’s life when it is safe to gather.  Please check back for service date and time.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.