Obituary of Erin Patrice O'Brien

Erin passed away on March 27th in Minneapolis with her family by her side. Though her life was cut far too short by cancer, she managed to pack so much life into the time she had.

Erin was born May 19, 1972, in Hanover, New Hampshire, the second of five children to Dennis and Anita O’Brien (née Letz). Erin spent her early childhood in Harvey, IL which she often credited for her street smarts. By age nine, she was ready to embrace the country life and moved with her family to Rhinelander, WI. Erin loved living the farm life and took an active role raising the animals and naming them after some of her favorite TV characters; Laverne, Shirley, and Squiggy to name a few. She enjoyed writing humorous songs and poems about them to the amusement of her parents and siblings. She was an avid reader throughout her life.

She was a National Merit Scholar finalist and an accomplished track athlete; she qualified for state in both the 200 and 800-meter races and set the school record for the 800m which still stands from 1988.

Erin graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison earning a degree in Chemical Engineering. She pursued a diverse and rewarding career path that allowed her to live and work across the county and world. Her adventurous spirit led her to embrace new experiences, collect many memories and form countless friendships along the way.

She will be remembered for her generosity and passion about people and social justice issues. She was a tenacious competitor, hard worker, thinker, dreamer, and problem solver. She will be profoundly missed.

Erin is preceded in death by father Dennis O’Brien and survived by her mother Anita; sisters Shannon (Jason Van Hunnik), Kerry, and Colleen (Mark Andrews); and brother Brendan; nephews, Ian O’Brien, Aidan Van Hunnik, and Jack Andrews; niece Mira Van Hunnik; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to a cause dedicated to the care of animals, humans, the environment, or women’s reproductive freedoms. Please give to a cause you are passionate about, but here are some we have donated to: Rhinelander Area Food Pantry and Planned Parenthood.

A private celebration of Erin’s life will occur sometime in late spring.