Janet Hurd (Former U of T colleague)

Entered December 9, 2022 from Toronto

Gerri was a valued colleague, both in Admissions and St Michael’s College - my condolences to her family.

Dave & Pat Roberts (Cousin)

Entered December 9, 2022 from tecumseh

To Bob, Lindsay & Reid,
I am so sorry for your loss. I spent alot of time with Ger at the farm with grams obrien. We played cutouts on the floor laughing all day. I have great memories
Of my time with her. She is in great company with her Dad & Mom who will take great care of her now.
Our prayers are with you at this time and always
Dave & Pat Roberts

Geri and Ken Thrasher (Cousin)

Entered December 9, 2022 from Windsor ON

So sorry for your loss

Ken & MaryAnn McRae (Cousin)

Entered December 9, 2022 from Tecumseh

Many fond memories of Geraline. Growing up I remember time spent on Grama's front porch and the years watching our kids grow up through the O'Brien Christmas party. MaryAnn and I send our thoughts and prayers to all the O'Brien's. May Ger rest in peace.

Doug McBean (coworker and friend)

Entered December 9, 2022 from Toronto

Condolences to her family and her many other friends. I will often remember her fondly as a truly kind and caring human being, especially when I am enjoying an orange chocolate ice cream cone at Summer's on Yorkville - a flavourful treat we both enjoyed together. She said it was to gain weight. I had no such excuse.

In our early years we lived on a hundred acre farm in Oldcastle, a farming community outside of Windsor Ont. The country was flat, old lake-bed, fertile. Corn and soybeans rotated every year.
Growing up, we always had a dog, but Ger's favourite pets were the feral cats that hung around the corn crib. She had names for them all but I don't remember them. She would dress them up and play tea party. One Sunday, she decided to take a cat to church. I don't remember all the details of the event, but the story was picked up by the editor of the local paper, the Essex Free Press. So she made her media debut early.
We used to walk the “country mile” to school every day in all weather. Once in a while we'd hitch a ride with the milk man. The school was one room, each grade had a row. The teacher's name was Mrs. Tears and she ruled with an iron fist, back in the day when corporal punishment in schools was common.
We had a small black and white TV. With a big antenna and the flat land, we picked up all the Detroit stations. One evening, after we watched the play Peter Pan, Ger came up with an idea that Mike and I could fly. So we went up to the 2nd story front bedroom, grabbed the curtains opened the window and Ger sent Mike and I out on our “flight”. A neighbour driving by on the highway saw us hanging outside and alerted mom and dad.
Fast forward to the mid sixties in Oakville Ontario. The Beatles came Toronto. Not sure how Ger scored a ticket but despite parental misgivings, she went off to the concert with her friends. That evening I stood outside with Mike and we tried to figure out which plane flying overhead had the Beatles onboard.
Later on, when we were back in Windsor, Ger took it upon herself to be the fashion coordinator for Mike and I. The “Frat boy” look was in. Ger took us across to Detroit to the department stores – Hudson's and Crowley's to set us up with shirts with locker loops and action pleats and dress pants with cuffs. Coming home, we wore several layers of clothes going through customs.
After we moved to BC visits became further apart. But we did manage to connect when Ger and Bob made visits to Lindsay at UBC.