Mary was an old-fashioned woman who liked to try new things. She waltzed beautifully, loved to camp, delighted in trying out new recipes, and struggled endlessly to master the computer. She was warm and optimistic, always looking for the best in people and always ready to offer an encouraging word. She will be deeply missed.
Mary Anne O'Brian was born on May 18, 1929, in Muskegon, Michigan, the daughter of Leo J. O'Brian and Bertha Schilling O'Brian. She was raised in Wisconsin, mostly in Milwaukee, where she attended Marquette University and graduated from St. Mary's Hospital School of Nursing as a registered nurse.
Mary married a dashing Irishman, Mel B. McCreery, on April 18, 1953, in St. Paul, Minnesota. They moved immediately to Lake Worth. She worked for several years in the newborn babies nursery at St. Mary's Hospital in West Palm Beach before leaving to raise a family. Mary is survived by her daughter, Suzi, of Lantana; sons, Joseph (Mary Donohue), of Lantana; Patrick (Ron Milewicz), of Queens, NY; and Michael (Kristin Shaeffer), of Pasadena, MD; grandchildren: Devin Donohue and Cassidy, Madeline, Alex, and Owen McCreery; sister, Ruth Brunke; brother, Thomas O'Brian; and many other relatives and close friends. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Mel and by her dear brother, Daniel O'Brian.
A woman of deep and sustaining religious faith, Mary was a long-time member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Lantana, where she served with the Women's Guild and sang alto in the choir. Mary also loved to paint and draw; she served on the board of the Lake Worth Art League for many years and exhibited her works in many local shows, winning numerous awards.
After her stroke, Mary lived at Signature Healthcare in Lake Worth. She was well tended by the nurses and aides there, and the family thanks the staff for their support.
Viewing will be 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Quattlebaum Funeral Home-Hillcrest, 6411 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach. A funeral mass will be said at 10 a.m. Friday at Holy Spirit Church, 1000 Lantana Rd., Lantana, followed by burial at Pinecrest Cemetery, Lake Worth.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18