Louise V. O'Rourke

Louise was born on September 1, 1928, in Kingston NY, the first child of Frank and Louise Jablonski. She graduated magna cum laude from Kingston High School and was the first in her family to attend college, earning a B.S. in Music Education from the Crane Institute of Music at Potsdam State Teacher’s College in 1951, majoring in voice and piano. While at the Crane Institute, Louise was invited to join Kappa Delta Pi, the national honor society in education, the highest scholastic achievement to be attained in the college. Following her graduation, Louise went to work as the Vocal Director of Onteora High School’s Music Department in Boiceville NY, a position she held until 1955.

In July 1955, Louise married Joseph H. O’Rourke, a fellow graduate of Kingston High School who had served in the U.S. Army in the post-WW2 Japan occupation, graduated from Manhattan College with a Business Administration degree, and studied law at St. John’s University. “Joey”, as Louise referred to him throughout their life, had recently accepted a position as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As an FBI Agent’s wife, Louise travelled with her husband as he was assigned to field offices in Baltimore MD, then Atlanta and Albany GA, and ultimately to FBI Headquarters in Washington DC. Her children Tim and Jody were born along the way, in Baltimore and Atlanta respectively. Regardless of location, Louise always joined and sang in her Catholic Parish’s choir, did vocal solos at weddings and other Church services, and indulged her passion for gardening. From time-to-time Louise did private piano tutoring, and her fondest memory was teaching her granddaughter Kathleen how to play and then performing a joint surprise piano recital for Kathleen’s parents.

Louise lost Joey to cancer in 1996, yet continued to live in the family house, attending daily Mass during the week at St. James Church and Sundays at St. Thomas More Cathedral. In 2018, shortly after her 90th birthday, Louise suffered a stroke that left her with substantial cognitive impairment and the speech disorder called Wernicke’s aphasia, but she still recognized and enjoyed family and friends, and delighted in visits with her two great-grandchildren.

Louise was predeceased by her husband, her sister Joan Henke of Purling NY, and her daughter Joan “Jody” Jiral. She is survived by her younger brother, Francis “Buddy” Jablonski of Kingston NY and his wife Mary Ann, her son Tim O’Rourke and daughter-in-law Marie of Charlottesville, VA, her grandchildren Michael and Kathleen O’Rourke of Los Angeles CA, her grandchildren Erika Haldi (Matt), Greg Jiral (Rachel), and Kira Jiral, all of Richmond VA, and her great-grandchildren Joey Haldi and Miles Haldi.