Obituaries Obituaries (December 19, 2003)

Virginia O'Brien

Virginia O'Brien, a Mountain View resident since 1937, died Nov. 23 at age 90. She lived at the Forum in Cupertino for the last four years of her life. O'Brien was born in Plad, Mo. During the Dust Bowl era, her parents left their Missouri farm in search of a better life in California. They packed up their family and possessions and settled in the Central Valley. O'Brien grew up on a farm in Laton, Calif. with her five siblings. She earned her RN degree in 1934 and worked at Santa Clara County Hospital.

Known as Ginny, O'Brien was a full-time mother to her four children and involved in their schools. She was a founding member of the St. Joseph's School Mother's Club. She also volunteered in her children's high schools.

She loved family gatherings, cooking, travel, music, gardening, reading, and the company of friends and family.

Predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Richard O'Brien, she is survived by children James, Gail, Karen and Michael and six grandchildren. Services were held Nov. 28. Donations in her memory may be made to Books Aloud Inc., 150 E. San Fernando St., San Jose, CA 95112 or a favorite charity.

George Kenyon

George Kenyon, an aeronautical engineer at NASA and Mountain View resident, died Dec. 1 at age 80.

Kenyon attended San Jose State, graduated in 1949, and began working at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which evolved into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1958. He spent nearly 30 years at NASA and was a developer of the M2-F2 Lifting Body Space re-entry research vehicle, a precursor of the Space Shuttle. The vehicle is on display at the Smithsonian Institution.

A native of Marquette, Mich., Kenyon will also be remembered as a lover of golf. He was a member of The Sunnyvale Senior Citizen's Golf Club and the Ames Golf Club.

He was predeceased by his wife Betty and sister Jacqueline Blach and is survived by children Douglas Kenyon of Morgan Hill, David Kenyon and Barbara Brown of San Jose, and Donald Kenyon of Anchorage, Alaska; and five grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Dec. 4 at Spangler Mortuaries. Donations may be made in Kenyon's memory to the Parkinson's Institute, 1170 Morse Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1605.

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