Colleen Mary O'Brien

Colleen Mary O'Brien, age 67, formerly of Ypsilanti, Michigan, passed away on November 9, 2025, after an extensive and valiant battle with blood cancer. Born on October 22, 1958, in Detroit, she was the fifth of seven children. For more than three decades, she was a devoted parishioner at Christ the King Catholic Church in Ann Arbor. Father Ed gave her guidance there. In 2002, she chose St. Augustine as her confirmation name. Her unwavering faith and steadfast trust in God brought her inner peace, even with fibromyalgia and then cancer. She knew that this would not be her end.

Colleen Mary was welcomed to eternal rest in Heaven by her mother, Mary Louise; father, Raymond Sr.; brother, Raymond Jr.; sister, Michele "Mickey"; niece, Jessica; great-niece, BayLeigh; and brother-in-law, Ted. She is survived by her siblings Joe, Julie, Mike (Sheryl), Linda (Jim), and brother-in-law John. Proud Aunt to Christopher, Nicole (James), Kevin (Kelli), Matt, Brenden (Rachel), Ashleigh (Kenny), and Tina (Terry). Loving Great-Aunt to Kendall, Vanessa, Dextyr, Penelopey, KayDence, Ben, Simon, and Leo. Her uncle and many cousins will miss her, as will her Church Family.

Throughout her career, Colleen held positions at Hewlett-Packard for over 20 years and at other companies as well. The role she cherished most, however, was that of "Miss Colleen," a beloved nanny to many children. Most recently, she cared for the dear Shibata family, who selflessly assisted her in her recent move from her home of almost 20 years. In Colleen's own words, caring for those children brought her "tremendous joy," and that was always evident. The Sinha family also held a special place in her heart.

Colleen will be remembered for her deep Catholic faith, her passion for service, her dedication to family and friends, and her lifelong love of books, especially the Gospel. Before her passing, she donated hundreds of her books to local libraries. Treasured trips included an Alaskan cruise with her sister, Julie, and traveling to Rome with her friend, Theresa. In the 1990s, she cared for R.K., her adored rescue cat. Gratitude was expressed for her "rich and beautiful life."

Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Christ the King Catholic Church, 4000 Ave Maria Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Friends and family may pay their respects starting at 10:00 AM. As she wished, cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers, her family kindly requests memorial contributions to her place of worship, Christ the King Catholic Church at ctkcc.net/give, as Colleen would have wanted.

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