Eugene O'Brien, 75, of Fairbanks, AK, died Sept. 28, 2001 From complications due to a stroke.
Gene was born Sept. 5, 1926 in Dobbs Ferry, NY to Thomas and Catherine O'Brien. He joined the Navy on Oct. 14, 1943, earning the American Area Medal, Victory Medal and Asiatic Pacific Medal and served until Oct. 30, 1956.
Gene married Gertrude Ann Whalen on Feb. 27, 1949, and they had three children, Bonnie, E. Kevin and Duane. Gertrude died in 1982, the day before their 43rd anniversary.
In 1975 his brother Tom convinced Gene to come to Fairbanks to look for work. "Yonkers," as he was known by his friends here, joined Laborers Union Local 942 and worked on the trans-Alaska pipeline. He retired in 1983 and spent his time doing volunteer work with his parish church, Immaculate Conception, and the Laborers union. Not content with his life of "leisure" he returned to work in March of 1q990 at the NOAA Tracking Station at Gilmore Creek where he worked until his first stroke in December 1999.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 746, Fleet Reserve 229, American Legion Post No. 57, and the Fairbanks Elks Lodge.
Gene was easily recognized by his hat, an old cowboy hat covered by pins, and his startling sneeze. He was very generous in his support of Indian children and felt the "white Man" had stolen the land from the Indians. Gene was especially happy in his duties as greeter at the Little Church, always shaking every child's hand and telling them to sing even though he wouldn't. All the children returned his attention and affection.
He was preceded in death by his wife Gertrude, brother Patrick, sister Anna O'Brien Ocfenia and her husband Ray.
He is survived by his daughter Bonnie O'Brien, son E. Kevin and his wife Kathy, son Duane, grandchildren Alexis Berninger, Christian Berninger, Deirdre O'Brien, Nichole O'Brien, Kelly O'Brien, Kevin C. O'Brien, all of Peekskill, N.Y., brother Ted O'Brien and his wife Clara of New York, sister Catherine Cope Farrell and her husband Tom Farrell of Connecticut, Brother Tom O'Brien and his wife Kieko of Fairbanks, sis-law Grace O'Brien of Massachusetts, brother-in-law Fred Whalen of New York,sister-in-law Cecilia Whalen of New York, and nephews John O'Brien of Fairbanks, Doug O'Brien of Anchorage and Mike O'Brien of Germany. He has many other nieces and nephews throughout the United States.
Services will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church. His final resting place will be at his wife's side in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Putnam Valley, N.Y.
Arrangements were by Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.
Gene was born Sept. 5, 1926 in Dobbs Ferry, NY to Thomas and Catherine O'Brien. He joined the Navy on Oct. 14, 1943, earning the American Area Medal, Victory Medal and Asiatic Pacific Medal and served until Oct. 30, 1956.
Gene married Gertrude Ann Whalen on Feb. 27, 1949, and they had three children, Bonnie, E. Kevin and Duane. Gertrude died in 1982, the day before their 43rd anniversary.
In 1975 his brother Tom convinced Gene to come to Fairbanks to look for work. "Yonkers," as he was known by his friends here, joined Laborers Union Local 942 and worked on the trans-Alaska pipeline. He retired in 1983 and spent his time doing volunteer work with his parish church, Immaculate Conception, and the Laborers union. Not content with his life of "leisure" he returned to work in March of 1q990 at the NOAA Tracking Station at Gilmore Creek where he worked until his first stroke in December 1999.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 746, Fleet Reserve 229, American Legion Post No. 57, and the Fairbanks Elks Lodge.
Gene was easily recognized by his hat, an old cowboy hat covered by pins, and his startling sneeze. He was very generous in his support of Indian children and felt the "white Man" had stolen the land from the Indians. Gene was especially happy in his duties as greeter at the Little Church, always shaking every child's hand and telling them to sing even though he wouldn't. All the children returned his attention and affection.
He was preceded in death by his wife Gertrude, brother Patrick, sister Anna O'Brien Ocfenia and her husband Ray.
He is survived by his daughter Bonnie O'Brien, son E. Kevin and his wife Kathy, son Duane, grandchildren Alexis Berninger, Christian Berninger, Deirdre O'Brien, Nichole O'Brien, Kelly O'Brien, Kevin C. O'Brien, all of Peekskill, N.Y., brother Ted O'Brien and his wife Clara of New York, sister Catherine Cope Farrell and her husband Tom Farrell of Connecticut, Brother Tom O'Brien and his wife Kieko of Fairbanks, sis-law Grace O'Brien of Massachusetts, brother-in-law Fred Whalen of New York,sister-in-law Cecilia Whalen of New York, and nephews John O'Brien of Fairbanks, Doug O'Brien of Anchorage and Mike O'Brien of Germany. He has many other nieces and nephews throughout the United States.
Services will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church. His final resting place will be at his wife's side in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Putnam Valley, N.Y.
Arrangements were by Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.
Eugene O'Brien, 75, of Fairbanks, AK, died Sept. 28, 2001 From complications due to a stroke.
Gene was born Sept. 5, 1926 in Dobbs Ferry, NY to Thomas and Catherine O'Brien. He joined the Navy on Oct. 14, 1943, earning the American Area Medal, Victory Medal and Asiatic Pacific Medal and served until Oct. 30, 1956.
Gene married Gertrude Ann Whalen on Feb. 27, 1949, and they had three children, Bonnie, E. Kevin and Duane. Gertrude died in 1982, the day before their 43rd anniversary.
In 1975 his brother Tom convinced Gene to come to Fairbanks to look for work. "Yonkers," as he was known by his friends here, joined Laborers Union Local 942 and worked on the trans-Alaska pipeline. He retired in 1983 and spent his time doing volunteer work with his parish church, Immaculate Conception, and the Laborers union. Not content with his life of "leisure" he returned to work in March of 1q990 at the NOAA Tracking Station at Gilmore Creek where he worked until his first stroke in December 1999.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 746, Fleet Reserve 229, American Legion Post No. 57, and the Fairbanks Elks Lodge.
Gene was easily recognized by his hat, an old cowboy hat covered by pins, and his startling sneeze. He was very generous in his support of Indian children and felt the "white Man" had stolen the land from the Indians. Gene was especially happy in his duties as greeter at the Little Church, always shaking every child's hand and telling them to sing even though he wouldn't. All the children returned his attention and affection.
He was preceded in death by his wife Gertrude, brother Patrick, sister Anna O'Brien Ocfenia and her husband Ray.
He is survived by his daughter Bonnie O'Brien, son E. Kevin and his wife Kathy, son Duane, grandchildren Alexis Berninger, Christian Berninger, Deirdre O'Brien, Nichole O'Brien, Kelly O'Brien, Kevin C. O'Brien, all of Peekskill, N.Y., brother Ted O'Brien and his wife Clara of New York, sister Catherine Cope Farrell and her husband Tom Farrell of Connecticut, Brother Tom O'Brien and his wife Kieko of Fairbanks, sis-law Grace O'Brien of Massachusetts, brother-in-law Fred Whalen of New York,sister-in-law Cecilia Whalen of New York, and nephews John O'Brien of Fairbanks, Doug O'Brien of Anchorage and Mike O'Brien of Germany. He has many other nieces and nephews throughout the United States.
Services will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church. His final resting place will be at his wife's side in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Putnam Valley, N.Y.
Arrangements were by Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.
Gene was born Sept. 5, 1926 in Dobbs Ferry, NY to Thomas and Catherine O'Brien. He joined the Navy on Oct. 14, 1943, earning the American Area Medal, Victory Medal and Asiatic Pacific Medal and served until Oct. 30, 1956.
Gene married Gertrude Ann Whalen on Feb. 27, 1949, and they had three children, Bonnie, E. Kevin and Duane. Gertrude died in 1982, the day before their 43rd anniversary.
In 1975 his brother Tom convinced Gene to come to Fairbanks to look for work. "Yonkers," as he was known by his friends here, joined Laborers Union Local 942 and worked on the trans-Alaska pipeline. He retired in 1983 and spent his time doing volunteer work with his parish church, Immaculate Conception, and the Laborers union. Not content with his life of "leisure" he returned to work in March of 1q990 at the NOAA Tracking Station at Gilmore Creek where he worked until his first stroke in December 1999.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 746, Fleet Reserve 229, American Legion Post No. 57, and the Fairbanks Elks Lodge.
Gene was easily recognized by his hat, an old cowboy hat covered by pins, and his startling sneeze. He was very generous in his support of Indian children and felt the "white Man" had stolen the land from the Indians. Gene was especially happy in his duties as greeter at the Little Church, always shaking every child's hand and telling them to sing even though he wouldn't. All the children returned his attention and affection.
He was preceded in death by his wife Gertrude, brother Patrick, sister Anna O'Brien Ocfenia and her husband Ray.
He is survived by his daughter Bonnie O'Brien, son E. Kevin and his wife Kathy, son Duane, grandchildren Alexis Berninger, Christian Berninger, Deirdre O'Brien, Nichole O'Brien, Kelly O'Brien, Kevin C. O'Brien, all of Peekskill, N.Y., brother Ted O'Brien and his wife Clara of New York, sister Catherine Cope Farrell and her husband Tom Farrell of Connecticut, Brother Tom O'Brien and his wife Kieko of Fairbanks, sis-law Grace O'Brien of Massachusetts, brother-in-law Fred Whalen of New York,sister-in-law Cecilia Whalen of New York, and nephews John O'Brien of Fairbanks, Doug O'Brien of Anchorage and Mike O'Brien of Germany. He has many other nieces and nephews throughout the United States.
Services will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church. His final resting place will be at his wife's side in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Putnam Valley, N.Y.
Arrangements were by Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.
Bio by: Gladys Clark
