Della M. O'Brien

Della M. O'Brien, 101, passed away on Saturday, April 20, 2019, in Olympia, Wash.

She was born Nov. 26, 1917, in Saxonburg, to Florence (Reinhold) Mahan and Warner A. Mahan.

Della lived in Meridian for most of her married life.

After her husband, Bob, passed away, she moved to New Haven Court in Butler.

At the age of 97, she moved to Olympia, where she lived at Woodland Assisted Living, and finally at Magnolia Woods Adult Family Home, where she received the most compassionate and loving care.

Della graduated from Butler Senior High School.

She married Robert E. O'Brien on Nov. 16, 1942, in Butler.

She worked as an office clerk for Metropolitan Life for 20 years.

Being a volunteer was a big part of who Della was. She was always a helper. She manned the voter polls for many years and was inducted into the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Voter Hall of Fame in 1996 by state Sen. Tim Shaffer. She also was a longtime volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul and Meals on Wheels. She was a member of Christian Mothers with St. Fidelis Parish in Meridian. Her favorite activity was working the dessert table at the St. Fidelis Lenten fish fries. She called herself and her buddies the “cut-up girls.”

Della loved her Irish heritage. If you asked, “How are you?” the reply was always, “Fine like the Irish!” Her favorite phrase of all was “God Bless You.” God truly did bless Della.

She is survived by her son, Thomas E. O'Brien of Leesville, La.; her daughter, Martha M. O'Brien-Sheldon of Olympia, Wash.; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert E. O'Brien, who passed away on Nov. 12, 2007; her sons, James A. O'Brien, who passed away on March 24, 2013, and Joseph O'Brien, as an infant in 1956; her daughters, Jeanne L. O'Brien, who died March 30, 1969, and Mary Anne O'Brien, as an infant in 1952; a brother, Alvin Mahan; and her sisters, Viola Mahan (Smith) and Mildred Mahan.

Services will be handled through Geibel Funeral Home in Butler and will take place at a later date in the summer.

Please share memories at www.FuneralAlternatives.org.