Memorial Page for our dear Joe O'Brien - devoted husband and an Iggy's best friend.

The BIA 2006 is dedicated to Joe - we will never forget you and could never thank you enough for always being there.

A special man like Joe comes along once in a lifetime.

This pic was taken during an Alaskan cruise that Joe and Helen took in 2003.

Not sure of the date of this pic but it is a lovely portrait of Joe, Helen and Twiggy Angel.

Joe and Helen at the National Specialty in Canfield.

 

Joe and Helen's beloved Sophia Maria.

 

Thank you for serving our country, Joe!

Memories and Tributes to Joe
I am so saddened by this. Yes, Joe WAS the finest. Joe always lived on the bright side of life and anyone he met he took right along with him. We love you Jose! May you rest in peace and have lots of jokes to tell us when we see you again on the other side!

Mary Hudson
It is indeed a great loss to the iggy world. Inever met joe but have been told all the things he has done to help.
I am sure he was greeted by hordes of grateful iggies at the bridge...

Gracia Berry, Concord, NH

One thing about Joe that few people know------When I would go to gift or jewelry shows, Joe would ask me to find IG or Greyhound jewelry. I bought them for him in quantitiy and he in turn donated them to rescue.

He will certainly be missed. Joe was a special person.

June Mastrocola

For the last 10 or so years Joe O'Brien has been at the heart of literally every Italian Greyhound Rescue and Italian Greyhound Club of America Health Fund fundraising event. Joe worked shoulder to shoulder with Patty Woodbury, Carmela Ciampa, Mary Frankio, Donna Carrick, and me. Never once was there a cross word. Joe loved us and we loved him. We used to joke and say that we were part of Joe's internet harem.

For over 20 years Joe served in the US military and finally retired from the US Army. Then he became an auditor with the IRS (and yep...you got that right....Internal Revenue Service). When IGRF acquired our 501C3 tax status Joe was right there with both encouragement and good advice. He even got Gracie out of hock when she tangled with the IRS over a Form 1040. <G>
Patty and I have lost track of the number of times that Joe helped us with technology issues. He may have been nearly 80 in years but he was young in his attitudes toward learning. Joe was thirsty for knowledge and made it his business to find out about the latest digital cameras, computers, printers, copiers, etc. I never bought anything without consulting with Joe first. He was like a father...always there with good advice, support and most of all love.

All of us in the Italian Greyhound Rescue community are mourning. Last night Joseph O'Brien passed away. He was the finest.

Judy Longhouse

Oh my goodness. I remember Joe. My heart is very heavy. He was a great help to rescue.

Despina Leandrou

I am so deeply saddened to hear of Joe's passing. I also got to know himthrough IG Rescue and he was just the kindest, funniest man. And the
wheels in his head never stopped churning re: ideas to help the Rescue-- sometimes I would hear from him with an idea, asking me whether I thought it would work as a fundraiser. Patty, what an amazing gift to him to adopt little Sophia Maria :-). I remember how much joy she brought to him after the loss of his beloved Twiggy.

As soon as I'm able, I plan to make a donation to IG Rescue in Joe's memory. Rest in peace, Jose -- I know our Iggies have a guardian angel
in you!

-- Angela Carducci (and Vito, Bo and Murray)
former IG Rescue rep / current volunteer
Pittsburgh, Pa.

Thanks for letting all of us know about Joe. He was an awesome man. I sat with him at dinner several years back in Canfield, and he was just so much
fun. He always had his camera with him!!!!! Had fun embarrassing us by snapping picture of us. Joe will be greatly missed as a fellow IG lover and a
wonderful helper to all of rescue.

Debbie Fuxa

Thank you for doing a memorial page for Joe. I loved Joe, and admired his sense of humor, along with his commitment to IG rescue. What a dear man!
I know he loved you too.
Best always and thanks again for all of your work.

Sincerely,
Melissa Nagel

I am absolutely shocked.
Beyond belief. Words fail me right now But, I just had to make contact w/all of you.
Kind of a cyber hug from me to all of you, and Helen and Sophia Maria.
And, I can feel all your hugs back to me.

Good lord. I am stunned.

I had NO idea Joe was almost 80.
I really didn't.
I just assumed he might be in his 30s or 40s or 50s -- or around my age - in early 60s.
 
He brought me so many good belly laughs.
The last one came out of the blue: the "anonymous" ransom note for and pic of Harry, whom Joe said was supposedly travelling through Michigan!

And, the time he sent the somewhat risqué "foto" of moi!

I know this isn't a bad dream, but it will take time for my brain and heart and soul accept that Joe has gone.
   
Can you imagine he's at the Rainbow Bridge, organizing auctions and jokes w/all family who have welcomed him w/greyt big woofs and grins and complete excitement and enthusiasm.What a loss.

God speed my dear friend Joseph.
Anne McCaffrey
My first contact with Jose was when he called in the middle of the night to discuss a BIA issue during my first auction. I was so befuddled that I was probably not as cordial as I should have been. As I got to know him I realized what a generous, loving and kind person he was and that time meant nothing when he was trying to accomplish a goal. His devotion to helping Italian Greyhounds knew no limit. That is a legacy that I will always honor and measure myself against. I trust he is surrounded by all the IG souls he touched before they moved to the Rainbow Bridge and that those still with us will find him there.

Best regards,
Blanche Wallace

Joe and I "met" when the first BIA was coming to be. He not only became part of the crew, he offered to photograph and ship EVERYTHING! We hadn't worked out the system being new and Joe and Helen's house became an Iggy warehouse. Joe took the pics and somehow we bumbled through identifying each item and he shipped every single item before it was all over. I could never count the hours that he put into that first endeavor. And, he never complained - got confused <g> at times, but made sure that he finished what he had set out to do.

After that we instituted the system where the donor would keep the item and ship from there but Joe still offered to photograph and ship for anyone who did not have access to a camera or scanner.

Whenever Judy needed anything for one of her fundraiser ideas he was the first to offer to help. He even learned how to make web pages for the site - and handled the bids with Carmela each night for the 8 weeks of the BIA each year.

Because of our involvement with IGRF, Joe and I became close friends. Anyone who knew Joe knew how much he loved his beloved Twiggy and when she became an Angel how he loved his Sophia Maria.

Each year that he was able to go to the National Specialty in Canfield he would take his camera and take as many pics of Iggies as he could. He would then share them with me and ooh and aah over each and every Iggy he captured. Over the years if he heard of any Iggy in need, he never hesitated to help out with a cash donation or offer of assistance.

Joe, Helen and Twiggy even made a trek all the way to MA to meet Steve, myself and our furry crew. It was so nice to spend time with the Iggy lover in person after spending so much time getting to know him and Helen by phone.

It is so hard to put into words how special he was and how the Iggy World has lost a very special man.

Rest in peace, dear Jose - words can't say how much I am going to miss you.

A special friend like you is hard to find. I'm so glad that Iggies brought us together.

With love and admiration-
Patty Woodbury

I don't know what I can add about Joe that hasn't been said already --except that Joe would probably have liked us to remember him as a man who looked at everything with good humor and would most likely prefer us to laugh rather than to cry when we think about him. That's hard to do, now that he's gone, but I'm sure that "Jose", as he enjoyed calling himself, is up there among the good guys and all the IGs, looking down at us --and smiling.

Lilian Barber

I loved Joe's wonderful sense of humor, his dedication to IG Rescue, and how affectionately he spoke of the others who were dedicated to helping the Iggies.  I only met him in person twice, we emailed much, and spoke for some hours on the phone, as did my husband.  I loved that he called me his "yankee friend" and "the girl with two names."  IGCA rescue parades will never be the same without Joe.  

Sue Frumerie Pretto    
Oh Joe....we will miss you so much. May you rest in peace with your sweet Twiggy on your lap for eternity. You did so much for our precious breed and I know you are surrounded by Iggy Angels where you are. Loving thoughts to your family.

Peaches
Joe was a friend and I'm at a genuine loss as to how to express my sadness over his loss.

Joan Carnes
Although I never met Joe O'Brien, I certainly have come to know him through this list and all the wonderful things he has unselfishly done for Iggies. I am saddened to hear of his passing.

Iggy hugs,

Karen DiRocco

The Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation and the BIA have lost a valuable and devoted crew member.


We, fellow BIA slaves, as Jose liked to call us, will miss him dearly and will never forget him...he now resides within our hearts.......his spirit will continue to preside over our endeavor on behalf of all the little IGs in need.

Joe was a wonderful and generous friend to so many. To be among that host of blessed friends has been my privilege. We never met in person, but all those late night telephone visits and working together for the IGRF and BIA sealed a friendship based on mutual interests and shared memories peculiar to our particular generation.

Thank you Joe, for being there whenever you were needed.......you were taken from us too soon.

So long to Joseph J. O’Brien, a very gallant man.

Carmela Ciampa

I have only had one encounter with Joe when I talked to him on the phone about a picture or something. He was a joy to talk to---so energenic sounding and fun. I had no idea he was @ 80 years old----he sounded much younger. We will all miss him and his commitment to our Iggies.

Marge Shiner
Arlington TX

If you would like to add to Joe's tributes and sentiments, please email <saluki13@comcast.net>and I'll be glad to add yours.

Donations may be made in Joe's memory to Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation. Checks may be mailed to:

Donna Carrick

IGRF Treasurer

321 Newsom Lane

Denton, NC 27239

PayPal payments made be made, also. Please use <saluki48@comcast.net> which is IGRF's PayPal account email address.

 

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