Obituary - Mr. W. D. P. O'Brien

3 February 1948 The Tumut and Adelong Times 

As briefly referred to in a previous   issue, the death occurred on Saturday, January 17, 1948, of Mr. William Daniel Patrick O'Brien, of 57 Pittwater Gladesville.

Although it was known his health had not been the best tor sometime few of his friends, especially those away from the city, realised just how ill he was.

In Tumut the news of his death came as a great shock.

Born at Grahamstown 64 years ago, the late Mr. O'Brien was the third son of the late Mr. and Mrs. W. D. P. O'Brien. 

His father was actively connected with the old Gibraltar Mine and the Adelong and Tumut districts generally.

The subject of these notes was educated at Grahamstown School and St. Ignatius' College, Riverview.

At the conclusion of his school days 'Bill' entered on a varied career, firstly on his father's farm, 'Rosebank,' then on the Shire; next he took on the hotel at Gilmore.

After a term there he went into a. butchering business with his brother Dick at Adelong.

Later he farmed Mr. Jack Quilty's property, 'Eugulo,' at Condobolin, for a time, then going to Sydney.

A milk run at Liverpool was his first venture in the city, but for a number of years he was connected with the wool and produce salesmen, firstly the Country Producers and then the Farmers and Graziers in their wool stores at Pyrmont.

He visited Tumut on many occasions, where he was always sure of a hearty welcome by his legion of friends. 

Some three years ago Mr. O'Brien suffered a paralytic seizure on his way to Mass and since then he has been more or less an invalid.

On January 10 he had enjoyed an outing at the Randwick races and on the next Saturday he planned another such afternoon at Rosehill, but he had a bad turn when he arrived at the racecourse and was removed to Ryde District Hospital, where he passed away some hours after without regaining consciousness; but, being a practical member of the Catholic faith, he was not unprepared.

Always of a bright, jovial, sincere nature, 'Bill' O'Brien made - and retained - friends wherever he went, and much sympathy is being extended to his bereaved relatives.

His wife (formerly Miss Kathleen Quilty, one of the well known old Gilmore family) and two children, John and Kathleen (Mrs. O'Neil), survive him, besides four grand children, one brother, Mr. Thompson J. O'Brien (Hotel Tumut), and one sister, Mrs. Mert Stitt (Caroline), Wynyard Street, Tumut.

His eldest brother, Richard, died some years ago; two others, Orlando and Assal John, gave their lives in World War I., and there are also two sisters deceased, Agnes (Mrs. Bob Cowan, Killarney) and Phillipa (Mrs. John Maloney, Temora). 

After Requiem Mass on Monday morn- ing the funeral took place in the Catholic portion, of the Northern Suburbs Cemetery that afternoon, W. N. Bull and Sons had charge of the funeral arrangements, and the last prayers were read by one of the priests attached to the Gladesville parish.

Besides Mrs. O'Brien and her family, the chief mourn- ers were Mrs. M. Stitt and Messrs. T. J.O'Brien and Bob Downing (nephew), of Tumut, Mrs. M, Pearce and Mrs. Carrie Locke (cousins), of Sydney. A number of friends witnessed the interment and many beautiful flowers were placed on the casket.