Dorothy Roberta (Dolly) Dahlstrom O’Brien passed away peacefully on Oct. 18, 2012, at 91 in St. Louis Park. She was born on Nov. 15, 1920, in Swedish Hospital, Minneapolis. Preceded in death by husband Col. Philip E. O’Brien, USAR Ret., father Eric Georg Dahlstrom (immigrated from Goteborg, Sweden), mother Jane Ann (Nancy) Runcie Dahlstrom (immigrated from Aberdeen, Scotland), brothers and sisters in law Fred and Dorothy Smith Dahlstrom, Fergus Falls, and Eric (Roy) and Evelyn Boehme Dahlstrom, St. Louis Park, and sister Jane Ann Dahlstrom Juhnke Bates, Austin, Texas. Survived by daughters and sons in law Kathleen O’Brien and Jeffrey Loesch of Minneapolis, Patricia and Donald Swiderski of St. Louis Park, and Erin Marie O’Brien, Albert Lea; grandchildren Siobhan Swiderski, St. Louis Park, and Michael Swiderski, Minneapolis, and David (Betsy) Murphy and family, Bourne, Mass.; brother in law Richard Bates, Austin, Texas; O’Brien, Dahlstrom and Juhnke family nieces and nephews across the country and cousins in Minnesota, Canada and Sweden.

Dolly was raised in a loving and happy family in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis. She graduated from Bryn Mawr grade school, Jefferson Junior High and West High School in 1939 and attended the University of Minnesota. On Feb. 4, 1944, Dolly married the fellow from across the street in Byrn Mawr and co-worker at the Brynwood Theater, Phil O’Brien. They had a happy and devoted marriage until his death from pancreatic cancer on Dec. 15, 1986. Dolly worked at the Brynwood Theater, Coca Cola Midwest, Northwest Airlines, Daytons and Hauglands Childrens Store and the Friendship Shop on Miracle Mile in St. Louis Park. A talented seamstress, she produced unique and fashionable wardrobes for her daughters. There was always a warm cup of coffee or pot of tea with crumbcake, oatmeal cookie and engaging conversation at her kitchen table. She introduced her daughters to politics through the League of Women Voters and was always ready to volunteer at church, school and in the community. Dolly was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and aunt. Her love of music and singing, her feistiness and humor will live on with us. She is loved and will be missed deeply by her family and friends.

Dolly received extraordinary care from Dr. James Pacala, University of Minnesota physicians; the Fairview Hospice team with special thanks to Niels Billund and Linda Brandt and the Parkwoods Reflections care team.

Mass of Christian burial will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Church of Our Lady of Grace, 5071 Eden Ave, Edina, with burial at Resurrection Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, with prayers at 7:30 p.m., at Gearty Delmore Park Chapel, 3960 Wooddale Ave. (at Excelsior Blvd.), St. Louis Park, and after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to: Fairview Hospice Fund c/o Fairview Foundation, 2200 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454 and the University of Minnesota Medical Foundation Fund 1818 to support Geriatric Research and Teaching, 200 Oak St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455.