Obituary of Kathleen V. O'Brien

Kathleen Veigh O'Brien, 66, of Moon Road, Jamestown, passed away Friday, April 3, 2020 in her home. She was born in Colorado Springs, CO and was the daughter of Lillian LaFountaine O'Brien and the late Charles L. O'Brien. Kathleen was a 1971 graduate of Lewiston High School in Lewiston, Maine and a Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude graduate of Fordham University in New York City in 1975. She was an attorney who graduated from Fordham University Law School in 1978 and was admitted to the New York State Bar Association in 1979. She was also a member of the American Bar Association and Erie County Bar Association. She served two terms as president of the Women Lawyers of Western New York when she lived in Buffalo for five years prior to moving to Jamestown in 1983. She became a parishioner of St. James Catholic Church, where she taught high school religious education classes for three years and served on the Church Council. She also served as president of the former Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School Board which her three children, Kristin, Jamie and Sean attended and for whom she was a "room mother" for each of them. She later became chairperson of the former Holy Family Catholic School Board. Kathleen was a "hockey mom" for her two daughters Kristin and Jamie, each of whom played for Jamestown Lakers Ice Hockey teams and Southwestern/Maple Grove Hockey teams and also Buffalo Bisons New York State Championship teams and Syracuse Stars National Championship teams. Her son, Sean served as captain for several levels of Jamestown Lakers Hockey teams and was a member of the former Jamestown Jets hockey team and University of Michigan Club Hockey team in Ann Arbor. She was a N.A.U.I. Certified Scuba Diver since 1979 and had made dozens of dives in Cozumel, Mexico, the Florida Keys, Bahama Islands, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Grand Cayman, St. Lucia, Aruba and Barbados islands where she photographed underwater coral reefs, shipwrecks, plane wrecks and enjoyed cave dives sighting giant octopus, sea turtles, barracudas, jelly fish, moray eels and hundreds of ocean fish, as well as sharks of many species and giant sting rays. Kathleen was a member of the former Business and Professional Women and along with the late Fr. Nicholas Rafael, an original organizer of the "Window on the World" International Festival and Food Fair. She was a member of The Creche, Inc. where she served on the Board of Trustees, was chairperson of the community service, rummage sales and membership committees, and served several terms on the Investigating Committee. She was a former member and past treasurer of the Prendergast Library Board, served on the Jamestown YWCA Board, and volunteered for seven years at the St. Susan Center when it was located on the site of the former St. James School. Kathleen had previously survived two bouts of genetic breast cancer which were diagnosed in 2002 and 2009. She is survived by her three beloved children: daughters, Kristin Cirbus (and spouse Holley Tyng) of North Yarmouth, ME, Jamie Cirbus, M.D. of Nashville, TN and her son, Sean Cirbus of Rochester, NY. Also surviving is her mother, former Maine State Representative Lillian O'Brien of Lewiston, ME; her brother, Lawrence O'Brien of Portland, ME and sisters, Maureen O'Brien (Brion Gallagher) of Auburn, ME and Patricia O'Brien of Winthrop, ME; two sisters-in-law, Jean McGregor of Kenmore, NY and Sheryl Casciano of Grand Island; and her best friend, maid of honor and law school classmate, Deborah Mark, Esq. of New York City. In addition to her father, Charles, who died in 1979, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Jaye Anne and Colleen; and her aunt, Joyce Emery. Due to the current restrictions on public gatherings, a private family Memorial Mass will be held at St. James Church, with The Rev. Darrel Duffy as celebrant. Further arrangements will be announced at a later date by the Lind Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. James Catholic Church; the American Cancer Society – for genetic breast cancer research; or to the Chautauqua County Humane Society.