Mary Jane (Cooper) O'Brien

Mary Jane Cooper O’Brien Ph.D., age 100, went to heaven on April 9th, 2024 surrounded by the love of her family.  She was born April 23, 1923 in Cleveland, Ohio.  She was preceded in death by her husband Gene, parents George and Isabelle Cooper and her eight siblings.

She is survived by her 11 loving children; John (Debbie), Tony (Lynn), Fran, Ruth (Bob) McMullen of Pittsburgh, PA, Brian (Linda), Danny (Janet), Dennis (Della), Mickey (Tina), Victor, Robert (Kathy) of Strongsville, OH, and Vincent. She was blessed with 28 grandchildren (including an angel in heaven) and 12 great grandchildren.

She was a loving wife and mother, and a caring grandmother and great grandmother.

Mary Jane was a nurse and educator. She knew at an early age she wanted to be a nurse. She was President of her Nursing school class at Saint Vincent Charity Hospital in Cleveland. She was a student nurse in the US Nurse Cadet Core at a military hospital in Cambridge Ohio tending to World War II wounded. She later worked at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Lakewood Hospital in Cleveland, and the Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus.

In the early 1950’s she met her husband, Gene. Their fifty-four-year marriage produced three children in the first calendar year, seven in the first five years, and eleven in ten years. She resided over a household that was always full and busy, while welcoming friends and family alike. She continued a tradition started by her paternal grandmother of annual family reunions with her siblings and thirty-five nephews and nieces. She relished large, joyful family gatherings.

After raising eleven children and working some 30 years as a nurse and nurse educator, she went back to school. Education was very important to her. She earned a bachelor's degree in nursing at age 55 from Capital University. Four years later she earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Ohio State University. At age 72 she completed her doctoral dissertation, “A Study of Caregiver Burden”, at Ohio State and was awarded a Ph. D. in health education. She said “Age is not a deterrent, but a springboard for achieving greater things in life. One is never too old to learn or take risks”.

She was instrumental in creating and expanding the Nursing Program at Columbus State Community College. In twenty-two years of teaching there she touched the lives of more than 1,600 nursing students. In addition, she served as an adjunct professor of the Adult Degree Program at Capital University. She was a board member of the Mid-Ohio Nursing Association. In 1995 he was inducted into the Ohio State Senior Citizen’s Hall of Fame.

In addition to raising a large family, Mary Jane was active in the community and Saint James the Less parish. She founded the “Parish Nurse” Program at St. James the Less as well as volunteering in numerous other Parish initiatives. In recognition of her and her husband’s efforts, the school’s gymnasium was named in their honor.

Three times she was named ‘Mother of the Year’ by local and state Mother of Twins clubs.

Mary Jane was the only one of her siblings to graduate from college. She took great pride in the many undergraduate and advanced degrees earned by her children and grand-children, and the broad array of schools they attended.

In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to the St. Vincent DePaul Society of St. James the Less Catholic Church

Visitation will be Sunday, April 14 from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Egan-Ryan Northwest Funeral Home, 4661 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43220. A funeral service will be held Monday, April 15 at St. James the Less Church, 1628 Oakland Park Ave. at 10:00 AM. Internment to follow at Resurrection Cemetery.

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