LYNN — Dr. Elinor (Murray) O’Brien, 89, of Salem, formerly of Lynn, passed away Friday, June 10, 2016, at Salem Hospital.
Born in Lynn, Elinor was the daughter of the late Francis and Abbie (Thompson) Murray, and the beloved wife of the late John A. O’Brien. She was the loving mother of Maureen Levine and her husband, Stuart, of Massachusetts, the cherished grandmother of Eric Levine and his wife, Emily, of Japan, and the much-loved aunt of Rev. Joseph Frawley and his wife, Irene, of New Jersey.
Dr. O’Brien was a professor at Boston College, where she taught Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology, Electron Microscopy, and Cancer Research. Fondly known as “Dr. O” by many of her students, Elinor earned her Ph.D. in Biology from Boston College and served as the Director of the Sontag Institute for Cancer Research on the campus. She volunteered as an officer of the New England Institute for Chemists for many years. Elinor received her M.Ed. from Boston University and her B.A. from Emmanuel College. She graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Lynn.
Service information: Elinor’s funeral will be held from the CUFFE-MCGINN FUNERAL HOME, 157 Maple St., Lynn, at 11 a.m., followed by a funeral Mass at 12 p.m., on Friday, June 17, 2016. Burial in Pine Grove Cemetery will follow. Relatives and friends are invited. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, June 16, from 4-7 p.m., at Cuffe-McGinn. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in Dr. O’Brien’s memory to benefit the Rev. William D. Sullivan, S.J., Ph.D. Scholarship Fund, which she established to honor her late mentor and friend. Details on contributing are on the online guest book at Cuffemcginn.com.