MARLENE MARGARET O’BRIEN

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MARLENE MARGARET O’BRIEN

(LATHEY)

November 25, 1930 - May 23, 2023 Aged 92

On May 23, 2023, our beloved mother, nurturer, teacher, and guiding light passed away gracefully surrounded by her family.
Adored by everyone who met her, she was the matriarch of a big, boisterous family of eight children, 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Her love of this large, complicated, dynamic family was unwavering. We wish for her a forever future reunited with her husband and the love of her life Harry, her daughter Leslie, her infant son Sandy, and her grandson Shaughn.
Marlene was the youngest of three born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on November 25 1930, to her Scottish born mother Peggy, and her English born father Henry.
Marlene had many gifts: an accomplished bowler, an incredible jive dancer, speed skater and accomplished seamstress creating many incredible garments for her family, including exquisite and intricate Scottish cultural outfits for her daughters’ competitive Highland dance pursuits, and was the long-time President and Competition Secretary of the Edmonton, and Alberta, Highland Dance Associations.
She was an expert knitter, student of the culinary arts, had a flair for fashion, a bridge master, a voracious reader, and wordsmith. She loved music and would regularly sing to the radio each morning making her children’s breakfast.
She found solace working in her yard, spending endless summer days creating magical, diverse outdoor spaces. A natural green thumb with a flair for colour, she found great joy and pride in her garden paradise.
Her love affair with her husband Harry began in 1948 when they were members of the same bowling team. A few weeks into the season, Marlene bowled a phenomenal 600 for three games, and her score was published in the local newspaper. That caught Harry’s attention, who was a gifted athlete himself and he asked her to go for a coffee. Harry ordered coffee, Marlene ordered milk…and three months later they were engaged on Christmas Eve.
THOSE THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE:
Mother: Margaret Moffatt Keith Tennant Lathey (1976); Father: Henry Thomas Lathey (1970); Husband: Harry Earl O’Brien (1985); Daughter: Leslie Jane O’Brien (2001); Infant Son: Sandy O’Brien (1955); Grandson: Shaughn O’Brien (2015); Brother: Keith Lathey (2007); Brother: Jack Lathey (2011)
THOSE LEFT BEHIND:
Children: Laurie O’Brien, Maureane O’Shaugnessy, Timothy O’Brien, Michael O’Brien, Shelagh O’Brien, Kerry Larsen.
Grandchildren: Jay Yuzwenko (Svetlana), Leigh Chapman (Jennifer), Dan O’Brien (Vanessa), Aiden Chapman, Laurel Thornton (Peter), Sandy O’Brien, Alannah Graham, Shannon O’Brien, Lindsay Leblanc, Connor O’Brien, Erin Graham, and Brianne Leblanc.
Great-grandchildren: Samuel Yuzwenko, Mathias Yuzwenko, James Chapman, Ben Chapman, Adam Chapman, Isabel O’Brien, Emily O’Brien, Matthew Thornton, Mackenzie Thornton.
Marlene will be cremated, with a burial service this summer.
In lieu of flowers, we request you make a donation to the Shaughn O’Brien Mental Health Fund at Concordia University in Edmonton, Alberta.

A mother’s love is unlike any other:
it lasts forever.

Condolences may be sent to wojciksfuneralchapel.com/obituaries

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 27, 2023