Obituary

Charles J. O’Brien

Mon, 09/04/2017 - 8:00am

Charles Joseph O’Brien, 82, of Cape Newagen, Southport Island, Maine, died surrounded by family on Aug. 9, 2017, after months of battling health issues. He went to the angels at Togus Springs Hospice, Togus Veterans Medical Center in Augusta, Maine.

Charles was born on May 16, 1935 to Charles J. O’Brien Sr. and Yola O’Brien in New York City. He was raised in New York as well as Berwick, Somersworth, Rochester area. He graduated from Berwick High School and joined the Army where he served at the end of the Korean War.

In 1959 he married Margaret L. Dorritie in New York and had six children. He moved back to Little River Road, Berwick, Maine in 1972. He divorced and moved to Boothbay Harbor area and settled the last 25 years at Cape Newagen with Elissa Shaw, who became his wife.

Charles was predeceased by his mother Yola in 1952, one brother Ronald O’Brien, his father Charles J. O’Brien Sr. in 2011 and his daughter, Mary O’Brien Ryder, in 2007.

Survivors include his daughters Yola Rhodes and her husband Jay of Virginia, Erin O’Brien and her husband Richard J. Brunelle Jr. of North Berwick , Maine; his sons, Charles J. O’Brien III of Berwick, Maine, Timothy O’Brien of Waterboro, Maine, Gerard O’Brien of Boothbay Harbor, Maine; stepsons, Rob Shaw and Benjamin Shaw; many grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Graveside services with military honors will be held on Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Cemetery at 163 Mt. Vernon Road in Augusta, Maine.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be made to the The Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary Unit 19, P.O. Box 1294, Sanford, Maine 04073 where he was a charter member or the Beals Hospitality House, 1 VA Togus Road, Building 2, Augusta, Maine 04420.