Gail Althea O'Brien

Gail Althea O'Brien passed away quietly at her home in Dallas, Texas, on April 10, 2025, at the age of 81. Gail was born in Brisbane, Australia, on September 6, 1943, the middle daughter of George Arnold Parmeter and Morva Beatrice Parmeter (nee Brickwood). After her father returned from serving in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, the family initially settled in Innisfail, Queensland, before moving to Townsville, where Gail graduated from the Townsville Grammar School. After graduation, she proceeded to study nursing at Rockhampton General Hospital before becoming a registered nurse.

In 1968, Gail moved to Sydney to work at St. Vincent's Hospital as an instructor in anatomy and physiology. Later that year she met John Bernard O'Brien, an expatriate American engineer working for the Caltex Petroleum Corporation. It was love at first sight, and Gail and John were married at the Wayside Chapel in Sydney on December 21,1968, less than three months after meeting, and remained together for 56 years.

For a short time, Gail worked as a nurse for QANTAS Airlines, attending to passengers falling ill during or after air travel. From the beginning, Gail and John's marriage was filled with much travel and exciting adventures, including a honeymoon in New Zealand. In 1969, the couple moved to Manila, The Philippines, where their eldest son, Bennett John O'Brien was born. Following their return to Sydney two years later, their second son, Daniel Thomas O'Brien was born.

When John was transferred to New York in 1973, they settled in in Wilton, Connecticut. Gail was captivated by the wooded rural setting and delighted by the changing seasons and the many different forms of flora and fauna with which she unfamiliar. In 1975, they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where their third son, Casey George O'Brien was born.

In 1976, the family moved to Houston when they remained for seven years. Although Gail's life was filled with raising her three sons, she also became involved in the community, joining the Junior League of Houston as well the Daughters of the American Revolution. She proudly became a naturalized US citizen in 1980.

It was always important to Gail that her sons remained connected to their Australian roots. With much of her family still in Australia, she wanted her boys to know and cherish the people and places that shaped her early life. The family made several trips to Australia, and in 1983, the family returned to Australia where John started his own engineering consulting firm. They built a new house in Indooroopilly, a suburb of Brisbane, and resided there for several years while the children attended the Anglican Church Grammar School.

The family also spent 18 months in Singapore, where Gail delighted in the beautiful views, vibrant shopping, and the bustling food markets. She also developed an enduring interest in Asian artifacts, many of which she eventually returned with to America. In 1987, Gail and the family moved back to the US and settled in Dallas' Highland Park, where her sons attended Highland Park High School. After the boys went off to college, Gail and John moved to North Dallas, where they resided for the next 25 years.

Gail had a personality and beauty that lit up the room when she arrived. Although she became a US citizen, she remained an Anglophile, admired her English heritage, loved her British TV sitcoms and mysteries, and never lost her Australian accent. Once when answering the phone, "Hello, Gail here," her friend said, "I knew it was either Gail or the Queen!" Until her memory began to fade in her later years, she had a wonderful memory for people, their names, and their families because she was truly interested in and cared about others. She loved children, the elderly, flowers, and beautiful clothes, but more than anything she was devoted to her family. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends.

Gail was preceded in death by her parents, George and Morva Parmeter, as well as her elder sister, Morva Donaldson. She is survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, John O'Brien; her younger sister, Georgine Hartney and her husband, Peter of Banora Point, Australia; son, Bennett O'Brien; son, Daniel O'Brien and his wife, Abydjana; son, Casey O'Brien, his wife, Jennifer and grandson, Jack; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held from 12 to 2pm with a Memorial Service to follow at 2pm on Saturday, April 19, 2025, both at Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home Chapel, 7405 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX, 75225. The funeral service will be livestreamed and recorded, and can be watched via - https://vimeo.com/event/5062743