Dr. Ann Hopewell O'Brien

Dr. Ann Miller O'Brien, 97, of Charleston, South Carolina, widow of Dr. Paul H. O'Brien entered into eternal rest Thursday, September 21, 2023. Her funeral service will be held graveside at Tullich Church, Ballater, Aberdeenshire, Scotland at a later date. The family will receive friends Tuesday, September 26, 2023 in the J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Downtown Chapel from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Ann was born April 4, 1926 in Edinburgh, Scotland, daughter of the late John Miller and Mary Milne Miller.  After graduating from the Edinburgh Ladies’ College (now The Mary Erskine School) in 1944 she attended the University of Edinburgh Medical School, where she earned her medical degree in 1948.  She then served as an attending doctor in an Emergency Department in the town of Windsor, England.  She boldly decided to seek her fortune in the United States and arrived in New York City in 1956.  With the help of Donald and Jean Stralem, who would become good friends and supporters, she secured a staff position at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.  She later became board certified in anesthesiology, and joined the staff as an attending anesthesiologist at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center.  There she met her future husband, Paul, and the two were married on Long Island in 1965.  Ann and Paul moved to Paul’s hometown of Chicago where they had two children, Jenny and Paul, and eventually settled in Charleston in 1970.  Ann forwent the practice of medicine and dedicated herself to her family.  She was an avid traveler and devoted supporter of numerous charities, and until the end Ann maintained her passionate interest in art history as well as her remarkable skills at the piano.

Ann is survived by her son, Dr. Paul Edward O'Brien of Charleston, SC; daughter, Dr. Jennifer Ann Williams (Norman) of Salem, OR; and three grandchildren: Lindsey Ann Williams, Nicole Erin Williams, and Colin Norman Williams.

Memorial gifts may be made to The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, or Disabled American Veterans.