William A. O’Brien Jr.

William
A. O’Brien, Jr. a lifelong resident of Fond du Lac, formerly of 238 Roosevelt
Street, passed away February 23, 2018. He was born January 9, 1926 in Fond du
Lac to William A. and Genevieve Kelley O’Brien. On May 17, 1947 he married Mary
Jane Konen at St. Joseph’s Church in Fond du Lac.

Mr.
O’Brien served in the US Navy during World War II in the South Pacific as
radioman aboard the USS Hanover. He was in the first co-ed graduating class at
St. Mary’s Springs High School and, after leaving the Navy, attended Ripon
College.  He joined his father in
business in 1946 at the O’Brien Dry Goods Company, a retail department store
specializing in Women’s and Children’s clothing located at Main and Second
Streets in Downtown Fond du Lac. He retired and closed the business in 1986. Mr.
O’Brien was a long time member of the Noon Rotary Club, Fond du Lac Area
Association Of Commerce, Fond du Lac Downtown Council, Fond du Lac Elks Lodge
57, American Legion Post 75, and St. Patrick’s Parish. He was a past president
of the Noon Rotary Club and the Fond du Lac Downtown Council, in addition to
serving on the Board of Directors of the Visiting Nurse Association of Fond du
Lac and of the Association of Commerce. After retiring, Bill enjoyed working as
a volunteer counselor with SCORE, a nonprofit organization sponsored by the US
Small Business Administration. In 2004, Bill was recognized as a Paul Harris
Fellow.

Survivors
include his wife Mary Jane; children John (Sue Bignall) of White Bear Lake, MN,
Kathryn Grahl (Bill) of Shawano, Margaret of Chapel Hill, NC, Bill III (Lynn)
of Lake Zurich, IL, and Maureen of Fond du Lac; grandchildren Jennifer
Grahl-Miller (Kelvin) of Seattle, WA, Mike Grahl (Aimee) of Germantown, WI,
Mary Grahl Price (Eric) of Fitchburg, WI, William O’Brien IV of Lake Zurich,
IL, and Garrett O’Brien of Lake Zurich, IL; 
and great grandchildren Elena, Alivia, and Elijah Grahl, and Greta
Miller.

He
was preceded in death by his parents and one brother Thomas.

His
family wishes to thank all those who have cared for Bill, especially Agnesian
Hospice Hope.

Service:
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Catholic Church,
200 S. Peters Avenue, Fond du Lac, on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 11:00 AM with
a visitation prior to Mass beginning at 10:30 AM. Burial will be in Calvary
Cemetery.

Memorials
in Bill’s name may be directed to Agnesian Hospice Hope.

Online
condolences can be expressed at www.zacherlfuneralhome.com