John Francis O'Brien

John Francis O’Brien, 86, passed away peacefully with family at his side on Thursday, July 19, 2017.

FUNERAL MASS: 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Michael Church in Bedford, Texas. VISITATION: 6-8p.m. Monday at Lucas Funeral Home in Hurst, Texas. Burial: Saturday, July 29. Bethel Cemetery, El Dorado, Arkansas.

MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s hospital in John’s memory.

John (Jack, Dad or Pa) was born in Providence, Rhode Island on January 6, 1931. After serving in the Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller at military bases overseas, he started his civilian career working at a small airport in El Dorado, Arkansas where he found the love of his life, Bonnie Louise Lawton. Following a brief 6 week courtship, they married on June 17, 1955. A transfer to the D/FW area in 1959 brought Bonnie and Jack to Euless where they started their family and lovingly raised four Texans. While proud that his many years of full-time work and part-time school resulted in a Bachelor’s degree from UTA, his true passion was working with his hands. His talents as a craftsman were multi-faceted; from woodworking to welding to home construction, Jack accepted all challenges and shared his enthusiasm for creating with his children and grandchildren. He never met a stranger as his northern accent was quite engaging and contributed to his unique gifts and legacy to his family…... telling great stories, enjoying witty jokes, devising good-natured pranks, and above all, basking in an abundance of laughter.

SURVIVORS: John is survived by his wife of 62 years, Bonnie Louise Lawton O’Brien. Sons: John O’Brien and wife Cathy, Arlington, TX; George O’Brien and wife Melissa, Hurst, TX; David O’Brien and wife Laurie, Kingwood, TX. Daughter: Martha O’Brien and husband Ron Fox, Arlington, TX. Grandchildren: Sean O’Brien, Cameron Fox, Patrick O’Brien, Erin O’Brien, Christopher Fox, Will O’Brien and Colin O’Brien. Great-grandchild: Gus O’Brien.