The Honorable Donald E. O'Brien

The Honorable Donald E. O'Brien, 91 of Sioux City passed away on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at his residence after a brief illness. Funeral services will be at 10:30 A.M. Monday, August 24, 2015 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation with the family present will be from 4:00 - 8:00 P.M. Sunday with a Vigil Service at 7:00 P.M. Sunday all at the Church. Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Mr. O'Brien was born September 30, 1923, in Marcus, Iowa, the son of Michael and Myrtle O'Brien. He graduated from Trinity High School in 1941. He attended Trinity College. In 1942, he voluntarily entered what was then called the Army Air Force as a cadet. After 18 months, he was made a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force as a Bombardier. He was assigned to a B-17 bomber crew and was sent to England where he completed thirty bombing missions over Germany. In the last fifteen missions, he served as a lead bombardier, leading his group as the person who used the Norden bombsight to calculate just where the bombs were to be released. The other twenty- six -planes dropped their bombs when they saw his bombs were released. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and four air medals during his tour. After his discharge from the Air Force in 1945, he entered Creighton Law School and graduated as a lawyer in February of 1948. He opened a law office in Sioux City, Iowa, shortly thereafter. In 1949, he was hired as an Assistant City Prosecutor for the City of Sioux City, Iowa. He served in that capacity, together with his private practice, through 1954. In 1954, he was elected as Woodbury County Attorney and served in that position for four years. He was appointed a Municipal Judge for Sioux City, and he served in that position during 1959 and 1960. In 1958 and 1960, O'Brien ran for the United States Congress for the old 8th District; he was defeated both times. In 1961, President Kennedy nominated O'Brien to be the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, acting as the Government's attorney. The U. S. Senate confirmed him, and he served in that position covering some fifty counties in the northern half of Iowa for six years. From 1967 to 1978, O'Brien was in the private practice of law. In 1978, President Carter nominated O'Brien to be a United States District Court Judge, a position he served until his death. Judge O'Brien was especially appreciative of the fact that the sixty judges from the seven states comprising the 8th Judicial Circuit elected him, and re-elected him, to be their representative on the Judicial Conference of the United States. This meant that he would meet with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and other Judges from around the country, twice a year, and vote on problems that faced the Conference. O'Brien served as said representative for seven years. Judge O'Brien ruled on hundreds of matters over the 37 years he served as a Judge. In 1950, O'Brien married the love of his life, Ruth Mahon. They had a great marriage for 61 years. Ruth died in 2011. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Michael, Jack and Phillip; a sister, Patricia; his brother-in-law, Albert Aiken and Robert Mahon; his grandson, Shawn Blair; and a nephew, Kevin O'Brien. Survivors include his four children: Teresa O'Brien, her husband, Matt Blair, and their children. His son, Brien, and his wife, Mary, and their children. His son, John 0' Brien; and his daughter, Shiuvaun (O'Brien) Hebert and her husband, Jon Hebert, and her children. Other survivors are his brother Jack's widow, Doris O'Brien, and their children. A brother, Bob, and his wife, Nella, and their children. A brother, Tom, and his wife, Mary, and their children. Other survivors are his brother Mike's widow, Gladys, and their children. A sister, Shiuvaun, and her husband, Ray Nasypany, and their children. He is also survived by ten grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and eighty nieces and nephews and their families. Other survivors are his sister-in-law, June Mahon, their son. Memorials in his name may be directed to Blessed Sacrament Grade School or Bishop Heelan High School. Pallbearers will be his grandsons Dan O'Brien, Timothy O'Brien, Kennedy O'Brien, Ryan Blair, Alex Rothrock, and his nephews Robin Mahon and Jimmy O'Brien.