Arlene Michelle O'Brien

Arlene Michelle McClung O’Brien of Austin, Texas passed away on January 30, 2026. Born in Stamford, Texas, Arlene was the youngest of five children. She grew up in Odessa, where she enjoyed piano lessons, played saxophone with the Odessa Symphony and Odessa High School Broncos marching band, and entertained the crowd at football games as a majorette. She went on to attend college at both the University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University. She married Air Force pilot Paul R. O’Brien, Jr., and the two went on to live in Bangor, Maine; Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; Kokomo, Indiana; Papillion, Nebraska; and Montgomery, Alabama before finally returning to her home state of Texas and settling in Austin. Arlene and Paul had one son and three daughters, as well as many cats and dogs over the years. Arlene was a strong southern belle, whose sense of humor and resiliency helped her face the challenges of motherhood and life as a military officer’s wife.

Arlene worked for eighteen years as an administrative assistant at the State Bar of Texas. She also enjoyed eight years of volunteering in the gift shop at Dell Children’s Medical Center.

Arlene was member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church and Treasure of the Hills Senior Center.

Arlene loved football, and was an avid Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys fan. With three of her grandsons having attended Texas A&M, she would even root for the Aggies—so long as they weren’t playing her beloved Longhorns. Arlene also enjoyed playing poker, engaging in weekly games with her poker group and taking frequent trips to Las Vegas.

Arlene is survived by her four children and their spouses—John Patrick O’Brien, Susan O’Brien Curran and Stephen James Curran, Donna Michelle Parsons and David Glenn Parsons, and Diane O’Brien Kelly and Curtis Ross Kelly. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and their spouses—Cody McClung Parsons, Mason Ryon Parsons and Julie Anna Parsons, Dylan Wyatt Parsons, Lindsay Leone Kelly, Ross O’Brien Kelly, Brooke Teagan O’Brien, Emily Michelle Curran Devane and Hugh Francis Devane, and Michelle NingRuYun Curran. She is survived by three great-grandchildren as well—Annabel Ryon Parsons, Theo David Parsons, and Mary Michelle Devane.