Mary Louise O'Brien

LUNENBURG - Mary L. O’Brien, age 94 years, passed away Friday, October 23, 2026, at 9:30 pm, surrounded by her loving family. Mary was born in Salem, daughter of the late Patrick J. and Eva M. (Belanger) O’Brien. She was raised in Peabody and graduated from St. John’s High School in Peabody. She was part of a very close loving family all her life.

Mary has many fond memories of being with her family on her grandparents’ farm in Danvers, spending summers with her aunts in Marblehead and growing up on Washington Street in Peabody.

Following high school, Mary worked for New England Telephone Company in Peabody Square. She made many good friends working at the telephone company. She stopped working when she started her family. Mary raised three children in Peabody. She was a very dedicated and loving mother. She loved to always have her children and extended family around her. She enjoyed cooking and showing her love through the food and gatherings she had. There were always 12 to 14 people for dinner all weekend long.

Mary has always been very devoted to her faith. She recited her prayers and said her rosary daily. We all got comfort from her because she was always praying for all of us. She was a strong supporter of her church and many organizations that help children.

Upon her retirement, Mary moved from her hometown of Peabody to live with her daughter and son in law, Cathy and John Beale, in Lunenburg. She loved being with them and helping to care for their family. She enjoyed the area but didn’t like to venture far on her own. Mary and Cathy became inseparable over the years. Cathy and John’s house became the meeting place for the family, and everyone gathered there very often. Cathy became her care giver and was very thorough with all her medical issues and wellbeing.

Surviving her are her four children and their spouses, Virginia “Ginger” and her husband James of Summerfield, FL, Patricia and her husband Edward Taylor of Haverhill, Cathy and her husband John Beale of Lunenburg and her son Robert and his husband Stephen Smith-Clocher of Chelmsford. She was the grandmother of January Diaz and her husband Mike, Andrea Guarino and her husband Jimmy, Amanda Cannon and her husband Matt, Brenden Clocher, Andrew Beale and his wife Allison , Shaun Clocher, Mark Wesgan, Christopher Beale and his wife Dagny. She was also the great grandmother of 14 with a new little bundle due in February. She has many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister Eva Drinkwater, her brothers Theodore, Edward, Joseph, James “Jack”, Richard and Bobby O’Brien, and her grandson Joshua Taylor.

A visitation will be held at Our Lady of the Lake, 1400 Main St, Leominster on Thursday October 29, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am. Burial following in North Cemetery, Holman St, Lunenburg. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to Eagle House Supporters, 25 Memorial Drive, Lunenburg, MA 01462, eaglehousesupporters.org. Arrangements are under the direction of the Murphy Funeral home, 85 Federal St, Salem, MA 01970.