John Ronald O'Brien

John Ronald O’Brien, a cherished Oak Park, Illinois resident for nearly six decades and former Oak Park Post Office employee, passed away at 7:50pm on Friday, March 22, 2024, at Loyola McNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Illinois, at the age of 84.

Born on November 17, 1939, in Paxton Community Hospital, Paxton, Illinois, he was the eldest son of Charles Francis and Mary Myrtle (née Houtzel) O’Brien. He hailed from a longstanding lineage of farming. The O’Brien family farm in Pigeon Grove Township of Iroquois County traces back to before the U.S. Civil War.

John attended the same one-room schoolhouse as his father, which lacked electricity and indoor plumbing. He graduated from Cissna Park High School in 1957.

Following high school, John contributed to the family farm and worked various odd jobs for about 18 months before enlisting in the United States Army shortly after his 19th birthday. He served in Europe for two years before transferring to the Reserves in October 1961, receiving an Honorable Discharge in October 1964.

Upon returning home, John joined the U.S. Postal Service in 1962 as a letter carrier in Oak Park. Over his 39-year tenure, he participated in the Postal Service’s experimental E.I. Program. He was an active member of the Illinois State Association of Letter Carriers, serving in various capacities, including state president. He retired in December 2001 but remained active in union activities, particularly those involving retirees.

He married Mary Alice Stuckey of Paxton, Illinois on April 28, 1962. John is survived by his two sons, Bruce Alan of Oak Park, Illinois, and Patrick Dale of Aurora, Colorado,

his brothers, Dennis L. (Donna) and C. Stephen (Jean) O’Brien, along with his grandson, Christopher Charles O’Brien of Aurora, Colorado, two great-grandsons, and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park, where John was a member since 1967. He will be laid to rest in Glen Cemetery in Paxton, Illinois, next to his beloved parents.

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