Margaret Erin Culligan O'Brien

She was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Hubert Gerard “Jerry” O’Brien; her parents, Michael Emmett Culligan, Sr. and Camille Catherine Berthelot Culligan; and her two brothers, Michael Emmett Culligan, Jr. and infant Boyd Camille Culligan.

Erin is survived by her two sons: John Michael O’Brien and Robert Gerard O’Brien; her daughter, Kathy O’Brien Kaplan and son-in-law Blake Kaplan; her five grandchildren: Jessica Marie O’Brien, Aileen Elizabeth O’Brien, Tiffany Ann O'Brien, Christine Margaret O’Brien and Zachary Blake Kaplan; and her three great grandchildren, Jacob, Cairo and Amari.

Erin was born in New Orleans on September 7, 1938. She was very intelligent and skipped two grades in elementary school. She later became valedictorian at both St. Mary's Dominican High School and St. Mary's Dominican College, where she studied business. She worked at Chevron Oil for several years after college, which is where she met the love of her life, Jerry O'Brien. After getting married and having her children, she went back to work, this time as a typist and stenographer reader for court reporters at Affiliated Reporting. As computers were introduced into the workplace, she oversaw their use and also trained many court reporters and scopists. Once computers arrived, typists like her became editors and proofreaders also known as scopists.

Religion was a big part of her life. Before her husband became ill, they attended Mass on a daily basis at St. Matthew the Apostle Church. She later served as a Eucharistic minister there, as well. With her time away from work and church, she enjoyed reading, cooking and taking care of her family, including her husband who suffered a stroke and was bedridden for nine years before he passed away.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass in the Chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 12:00 PM. A visitation will be held at the funeral home beginning at 11:00 AM. The interment will follow the Mass at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Margaret’s memory to St. Matthew the Apostle Church in River Ridge.

To view and sign the online guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com