As many of you already know, West Kessler lost one of its long-time residents as a result of a tragic house fire.  Susan Marie O’Brien, 67, passed away January 26, 2018.

Originally from Bellevue, Nebraska, she had 3 children (Jill, John, and Sean), and 4 grandchildren (Ruby, Julian, Henry, and James). She lived on N. Oak Cliff Blvd for almost 30 years and had an intense love for her dogs: Shiri, Bentley, Country Girl, Lucy, Molly, and Cooper. She had a soft spot in heart for strays and rescue animals and volunteered at a local no-kill dog shelter.

Susan loved gardening and on any given day, she could be seen planting flowers and trees in her yard. She also enjoyed spending time with her kids and grandchildren and was an avid collector of unique objects and antiques. Susan saw so much beauty in the world and wanted to share that with everyone she was around.

Not too many people know that Susan was a talented architect and designer, lauded for her architectural designs both interior and exterior.  She was best known for bringing postmodern architectural design to the Dallas architectural scene during the eighties.  She was an artist, poet, photographer and collector of antiques.  Susan studied at the University of Texas at Austin, finishing her studies at Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History.

Not only West Kessler, but much of North Oak Cliff is reeling after hearing the news of Susan’s passing. Funeral Arrangements services are planned for Sunday, February 4^th at 12:30 PM at Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home, 7405 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX 75225 | 214-363-5401.