Howard James O'Brien

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LJVT-FTF

O'Brien - Howard James O'Brien, a Postal Service executive and father of novelist Anne Rice died of Congestive heart disease Friday at Southern Baptist Hospital. He was 74. Mr. O'Brien was born and raised in New Orleans. He was educated at St. Alphonsus School and attended Redemptorist Seminary in Kirkwood, MO. He was in the Navy during World War II and was employed as a personnel executive for the U.S. Postal Service. he was transferred to the Dallas office in 1957. Mr. O'Brien grew up among Irish story tellers and passed his love for the city and this talent on to his daughters. "He was my hero and inspiration," Anne Rice said. "He was the first real writer I knew. He wrote stories and poetry. I dedicated "The Feast of All Saints" to him. It was his favorite of all my books. Mr. O'Brien wrote a novel for children "The Impulsive Imp" which he read chapter by chapter as he finished writing it to his children. Rice says she hopes to have the novel published one day. After the death of his first wife Katherine Allen, Mr. O'Brien met his second wife Dorothy van Bever at the trolly stop at St. Charles Avenue and Third Street.

"My father wrote a formal letter inviting her to lunch which I hand-delivered to her house," Rice said. "I was so nervous. In the note he enclosed a pin which she was to wear if she accepted the invitation. The next day she had the pin on." Besides his wife and daughter Mr. O'Brien is survived by four other daughters, Alice Borchardt of Houston, Tamara Tinker of San Francisco, Karen O'Brien of Richardson, Texas and Micki O'Brien Collins of Arlington Texas; two sisters Patricia Harberson of Carriere, Miss. and Bertha Mahan of Ridge View Calif.; a brother Theodore O'Brien of New Orleans; and two grandchildren. Visitation will be held today from 5 to 10pm at Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home 2215 Magazine St. Burial will be in Restland Cemetery in Dallas Wednesday.

Times Picayune 12-2-1991

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https://64parishes.org/entry/anne-rice

Early Life and Career

The second of four daughters, Rice was born in New Orleans on October 4, 1941. Originally named Howard Allen O’Brien after her Irish parents, Katherine Allen O’Brien and Howard O’Brien, she tried out a variety of female names before settling on Anne. Believing that a good mother raised an intellectually superior child, Katherine O’Brien encouraged her children’s creativity while holding them accountable to their Catholic faith. This tension between permissiveness and restraint is key to Rice’s gothic and erotic novels. The emotional turmoil Rice experienced as the child of an alcoholic mother also kindled what one biographer described as “the need for love that pervaded her life [and] art.” Rice’s father provided more stability. Writing stories and poems for his children, he also encouraged them to read and took them on walks through New Orleans.

References

• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/O'Brien-2541
• Howard James O'Brien (1917-1991) on Find A Grave: Memorial #71562559 retrieved 12 December 2021
• Wikipedia contributors, "Anne Rice," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anne_Rice&oldid=629938521 (accessed October 19, 2014).
• "Louisiana Parish Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJ8-X1LS : 18 February 2021), Howard J O'Brien and Katherin R Allen, 23 Nov 1938; citing Orleans, Louisiana, United States, various parish courthouses, Louisiana; FHL microfilm 2,295,619.
• "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VYPG-LT4 : accessed 19 Oct 2014), Howard O'Brien in household of Alice Allen, Ward 10, New Orleans, New Orleans City, Orleans, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 36-279, sheet 13A, family 306, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 1428.: 1940 United States Federal Census about Howard O'Brien

HOWARD JAMES O'BRIEN

Graveside services for Howard James O'Brien, a postal service executive and father of novelist Anne Rice, will be at noon Wednesday at Restland Memorial Park in Dallas.

Mr. O'Brien, a Richardson resident for 33 years, died Friday of congestive heart disease at Southern Baptist Hospital in New Orleans, where he was visiting his family. He was 74.

Mr. O'Brien was born and raised in New Orleans and attended Redemptorist Seminary in Kirkwood, Mo. He served in the Navy during World War II. Mr. O'Brien later returned to New Orleans and began as a clerk with the U.S. Postal Service and eventually became a personnel executive. He was transferred to Dallas in 1957 and retired in the early 1970s. Mr. O'Brien grew up among Irish storytellers and passed his love for New Orleans and his storytelling talent on to his daughters. "He was my her o and inspiration,' Mrs. Rice told the Associated Press. "I dedicated The Feast of All Saints to him. It was his favorite of all my books.' Mrs. Rice's works also include Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned and The Witching Hour. Mr. O'Brien wrote a novel for children, The Impulsive Imp, which he read, chapter by chapter as he finished writing it, to his children, Mrs. Rice said. Mrs. Rice said she hopes to have it published. In addition to Mrs. Rice of New Orleans, Mr. O 'Brien is survived by his wife, Dorothy Vanbever O'Brien of Richardson; four other daughters, Micki Collins of Arlington, Tamara Tinker of San Francisco, Karen O'Brien of Richardson and Alice Borchardt of Houston; two sisters, Patricia Harberson of Carriere, Miss., and Bertha Mahan of Rye View, Calif.; a brother, Theodore O'Brien of New Orleans; and two grandchildren.

Dallas Morning News

December 4, 1991

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Dec 17 2021, 0:18:04 UTC