Marian (Elizabeth) Murphy O'Brien was born on August 2, 1931 in Tulsa to Arthur and Ruth Davidson Murphy. She died September 12, 2022 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Marian graduated in 1949 from Marquette High School. Marian then attended the Draughon School of Business in Tulsa before working at American Airlines.
On June 21, 1952 she married her high school sweetheart Henry O'Brien. Married life and the Air Force took them to Savannah, Georgia where their first child, Susan was born in 1953. The family moved back to Tulsa later that same year where over the course of the next nine years they were blessed with three more children.
Marian raised their four children while volunteering extensively in both church, school and community projects. She taught Religious Education at the Church of the Madalene for ten years and then was Director of Religious Education for another ten. Additionally, she worked with Henry to coordinate the annual Christmas for Kids program for the children in Idabel, Oklahoma for fourteen years. She also volunteered with Meals on Wheels, St. Elizabeth's Lodge, Catholic Charities, and other projects sponsored by the church's Social Concerns Committee.
Marian was quite the genealogist as well. She developed contacts with distant relatives and has provided documents to many cousins, nephews and nieces including relatives in both Ireland and Scotland. She enjoyed meeting some of those cousins on a trip to Ireland as well.
As empty nesters, Marian was able to travel with her husband when he traversed the country as part of his job. They were able to travel to 49 of the 50 United States as well as Canada. They also enjoyed participating in Elderhostel programs (now known as the Road Scholars) which are educational travel programs around the country.
She will be greatly missed by her family and all who knew her.
Marian is survived by her brother John Murphy of Texas; her four children; daughter Dr. Susan O'Brien of Tulsa, son Kevin O'Brien and his wife Colette of Colorado, son Steven and his wife Patty of Lake Tenkiller, daughter Marian "Mimi" Smock and her husband David Smock of Broken Arrow; grandchildren Andrea Novell and her husband David, Breck Anderson, Megan Sanders, Paul Sanders, Sarah O'Brien and Conor O'Brien and his wife Sara; great grandchildren Owen O'Brien, Caitlin Novell and Alexis Novell and many nieces and nephews.
Marian was preceded in death by her husband Henry, her parents, her sister Margaret Enright, her brother Arthur Murphy Jr, and her brother Francis Murphy.
A rosary will be held the evening of September 22 at 7:00pm and a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday at 11:00am. Both will be at the Church of the Madalene, 3188 East 22nd Street, Tulsa.


In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Church of the Madalene or to Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa.
Moore Funeral Home - Rosewood Chapel (918) 744-1202

At the start of the Mass, Church of the Madalene will livestream, please click here