Lyal John "John" O'Brien 1913-1985

OBRIEN, BAGAN, ROSENBACH, HIGHLEY, STARKOVITCH

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 9/8/2013 at 00:44:37

DR. L.J. O'BRIEN

Dr. Lyal J. Obrien, 76, Chesterfield, Mo., a longtime Fort Dodge surgeon, died Friday [March 29, 1985] at Delmar Gardens Chesterfield Nursing Home, St. Louis, MO.

The family had lived at 15038 Claymoor Court, Chesterfield, Mo., 63017, for a number of years.

A memorial mass was read Monday at Priory Chapel, St. Louis, Mo., and the body was donated to St. Louis University Medical School, St. Louis, Mo.

Survivors include the widow, Denise Bagan O'Brien; 3 sons, Dennis, Kevin and Terrence, all of St. Louis, Mo.; Patrick, Minneapolis, Minn.,; daughters, Colleen Rosenbach, Gettysburg, Pa.; Kathleen Highley, St. Louis, Mo.; Maureen Starkovitch, Omaha, Neb., and 11 grandchildren.

Lyal J. O'Brien was born in Lynxville, Wis. He received a medical degree from the University of Minnesota in 1940, took his internship at St. Louis University and his residency at the University of Iowa.

He was an instructor of surgery at the University of Iowa Medical School and also taught at St. Thomas Medical School, St. Paul, Minn., before coming to Fort Dodge in 1947 to set up a practice in general surgery. He married Denise Bagan in Estherville. Dr. O'Brien retired in 1979.

He served as president of the Iowa Medical Society, the Iowa Cancer Society and the Webster County Medical Society. He was elected to the board of the American College of Surgeons. He also earned a Ph.D. in biology and philosophy.

Memorial contributions should be made to the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. (The Messenger, Fort Dodge, IA, April 3, 1985)