Mary A O'Brien

Mary Alice (Malebranche) DeCaluwe O’Brien, 73, passed away peacefully at home on December 10th following a battle with pancreatic cancer.  Born April 2, 1950, in Chicago, she is preceded in death by her first husband, Gary, and her parents, Roy and Alice Malebrance.

Growing up in Chicago, Mary attended Kelvyn Park High School. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Northeastern University.  After teaching for many years, Mary finished her career at Allstate, retiring after twenty-two years.

After retiring from Allstate, she and her husband Jim spent time traveling around the country in their camper.  They visited all parts of the country, from Alaska to the National Parks and the colors in the Northeast, ending up each winter in Texas.  They even shared this love with their grandchildren, taking each of them on short trips.

Mary was a long-time resident of Woodstock.  She was an active member at Resurrection Catholic Church, where she enjoyed serving as a lector and communion minister, sewing parish project, and Appalachia Service Project.

Mary will be remembered for her generosity, delicious baked goods, and love of all things Disney, sewing, and quilts. She always made sure she had treats when anyone stopped by.  She loved making quilts for new babies and gifted quilts for weddings and special occasions of all kinds.

Mary adored being a grandma. She attended many music programs, soccer games, football games, recitals, and activities her grandchildren participated in. Each grandchild has postcards and books from Grandma and Grandpa’s many travels, as well as handmade quilts for their beds, Halloween costumes, and ornaments.

Beloved by her family, she is survived by her husband of 31 years, James; her three children, Lynn (James) Misulonas, Scott (Jenni) DeCaluwe, and Gwen (Michael) Hockemeyer; 7 grandchildren, Quinten and Gavin Misulonas, Abigail and Hannah DeCaluwe, and Morgan, Matthias, and Gabriel Hockemeyer; siblings Paul Malebranche, James (Chris) Malebranche, Mark (Barb) Malebrance, and Laura (Steve) Ksiazek; and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be on Saturday, January 13th from 10 am to 11 am at Resurrection Catholic Church, 2918 Country Club Road in Woodstock, with Mass immediately following visitation. 

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