Charles Howard O’Brien
Charles Howard O’Brien, 93, of Marietta, passed away Tuesday morning, March 29th, 2011.
Charlie was born to Henry and Ora (Rucker) O’Brien of Marietta on October 6, 1917. He grew up on Van Buren Street in Marietta’s Norwood area. He graduated from Marietta High School in 1936. His early years were spent caddying at the Marietta Country Club, driving a cab, and hustling a little pool at the Smoke Shop in Marietta to help support his family.
When World War II broke out, Charlie volunteered to serve our country in May of 1942 by joining the US Army Air Force. Charlie, or “OB” as he was called by his friends in England, served with the 8th Air Force, 835 Air Engineering Squad in England until his discharge in November 1945. He was a life member of the American Legion Post 64 and VFW Post 5108.
On Feb. 24, 1946, he married his loving wife, Norma R. Bartlett of Oak Grove at the Trinity Methodist Church in Marietta. They had three children; Phillip, Chari, and Jackie.
Charlie was employed by the Railway Express Agency for many years until his retirement. In his spare time he owned and operated the not so famous “O'Brien’s Bait Shop” out of a neighbor's barn on the west side of Marietta. He would enlist us kids to take our flashlights outside after an evening rain and help him collect night crawlers to be sold later. After moving the family to Oak Grove, he grew strawberries on our grandparent's farm and sold them locally.
He continued to stay active truck farming on the family farm in Oak Grove and was a member of the Marietta Truck Growers Association for many years. He was an original member of the Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department. As a long time member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Church, he served as a Deacon and Elder. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, traveling, and golf.
Charlie is survived by children, Phillip (Cynda) O'Brien of Marietta, Chari (Bruce) Becker of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Jacqueline O'Brien (John Tipton) of Grove City, Ohio; grandchildren, Heather (Steve) Copley, Aaron (Lauren) O'Brien, Michele (Michael) Tylka, Britne (Joseph) Gleason, Zachary (Jennifer) Becker, Ariel Tipton; and great-grandchildren, Charlie and Andy Copley, Andrew, Evan, and Megan Tylka, Eden Gleason, and Ava Becker. He is also survived by his brothers, William O’Brien of Florida and David O’Brien of Virginia.
Charles was preceded in death by his wife Norma; parents; brothers, Arthur, Gale, Edgar, and Leland O’Brien; and sister, Letha Ellen Ashton.
Whether you knew him by Charles, Charlie, Chuck, OB, Dad, Grandpa, Grandpa Charlie Horse, or Great Grandpa, he was a wonderful man and will be sorely missed by all.
Visitation will be Friday from 4 until 7 at McClure-Schafer-Lankford Funeral Home. Services will be held Saturday (April 2nd) at 10:30 am at St. Paul's Evangelical Church, 401 Fifth St., Marietta, with the Rev. Thomas Hendershot officiating. Burial will follow in East Lawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made in his honor to Hospice.
To Dad:
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
Mahe sun shine warm upon your face.
May the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.