Obituary
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our mother, Wynn O’Brien (Swan). She was a loving mother to three Swan children and a loving stepmother to the eight O’Brien children; as well as a grandmother and great-grandmother. Mum could bake a great lemon pie and yummy fruit cake. She was also a great dog sitter for Kailas (Tibetan Terrier) and Tigg (Spinone Italiano).
Mum was born on January 16, 1925, in Regina, Saskatchewan to Rose and Walter Fyke. The family, with her 3 brothers and one sister, moved to Calgary for her early years, and then moved to the Priddis area on a homestead in the midst of the Depression and through to the end of WWII. Mum often talked of the one-room schoolhouse across the road from their farm where she attended school and of the 6-mile walk into Priddis that she often walked with newspapers stuffed in her rubber boots to keep her feet from freezing. Her mother wanted the mail every day to see if there was any word from her three brothers who were serving with the armed forces during WWII. Fortunately, they all came back alive.
Mum married Walter Swan in 1943. He and his father operated a coal mine in the Priddis area during the 1930s and through to the end of WWII. They left Priddis after the end of the war and bought a house in Midnapore where Mum lived until 1975 when she moved to the Willow Park area in south Calgary. In 1984 she married the love of her life, Dennis O’Brien, and moved with him to “the house of her dreams “in the Woodbine/Fish Creek Point area of southwest Calgary. She and Dennis loved to ride their bikes and hike in Fish Creek Park.
Mum loved her house and lived there until she was 95 when her declining health required a move to Cambridge Manor where she spent her remaining years. Mum was pre-deceased by Dennis in 2013. They had wonderful years together including a memorable trip to Ireland and England where they were able to trace their families who emigrated from there. She is also pre-deceased by her first husband Walter Swan; her mother and dad; her two aunts Minnie and Kathleen; her brothers Gerald, Jim, and Frances (Bub); and her sister Kathleen. She is survived by her three children Marilyn (Jerry) Crawford, Barry (Maura) Swan, and Brent Swan (Debbie Meredith); 4 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by Dennis’ family, Pat (Arlene) O’Brien, Shannon (Brian) Douglas, Mike (Brenda) O’Brien, Kerry (Berni) O’Brien, Bruce (Pamela) O’Brien, Jeff (Dianne) O’Brien, David (Ginetta) O’Brien, Melanie Carson, 18 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
We would like to thank the wonderful staff at Cambridge Manor (Abington Floor) for their kind and devoted care of our mother.
We are so thankful to have had Wynn with us for so many years. She was a loving presence for all of us and will be dearly missed.
At Wynn’s request, no funeral will be held.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Mary ‘Wynn’ O’Brien January 16 1925 October 16 2022 (age 97)..
Death notice for the town of: Calgary, Province: Alberta