Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Eloise Linger

Obituaries

Eloise Linger

Longtime Los Gatos resident Eloise Throop Linger died May 1 in Los Angeles, where she had been hospitalized. She was 83.

Born April 22, 1914, in Buffalo, N.Y., she moved to Palo Alto in 1922 with her aunt Caroline French, who raised Linger and her late brother, Jeremy. Linger and her husband, John, made their first home together in Lodi, where John served as principal of an elementary school. They and their children later moved to Palo Alto, followed by moves to Monte Sereno in 1959 and Los Gatos in 1964.

Linger graduated from San Jose State University in 1963 and earned her teaching credential. She taught in the Franklin-McKinley School District for many years and continued to substitute teach after retiring.

An accomplished musician, Linger played classical and popular piano and was also a skilled singer. Her interests included children, art, nature and traveling abroad.

Survivors include daughter and son-in-law Lucinda and Joel Mittleman of Santa Monica; daughter Mimi Whitney of Monterey County; son John B. Linger of San Pedro; grandchildren Amelia and Claire Mittleman, Dr. John M. Whitney and Ianna L. Hafft; and great-grandson Orion G. Whitney.

Memorial services have been held, with interment at Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Alto.

Eleanor Sorenson

Longtime Los Gatan Eleanor Louise Sorenson died June 30 of heart failure at Good Samaritan Hospital. She was 79.

Born Jan. 15, 1919, in Los Gatos, Sorenson was a member of the Business Professional Women's Club, the Los Gatos Garden Club and the Los Gatos History Club. Her husband was the late Leslie Sorenson of Sorenson Plumbing, a local company.

Survivors include son and daughter-in-law John and Amelia Sorenson; grandson Jack Sorenson and his wife, Ronda; and step-great-grandson Joe Hernandez.

Arrangements have been handled through the Neptune Society.

Monsignor Tim O'Brien

He may have had finer, more elaborate stoles made from expensive cloth and embroidered with delicate thread. But it was the stole made for him by a first-grade class at St. Martin of Tours School in San Jose about 19 years ago that looked best on Monsignor Tim O'Brien. With the little red, blue, green and yellow hand prints traced on felt and the squiggly shape of the rickrack piping, the stole became O'Brien's trademark. He wore it to any mass he knew children would be attending.

And after his death July 6 in Mountain View--two days after having suffered a major stroke--the former St. Mary's priest was dressed in the stole for his own funeral mass. He was 70 years old.

Born to Irish Catholic parents in San Francisco on Dec. 17, 1927, Timothy Edward O'Brien was only a child himself when he began talking about joining the priesthood. He entered St. Joseph's Seminary in Cupertino after graduating from St. Matthew's School in San Mateo. From St. Joseph's, O'Brien moved on to St. Patrick's Seminary, earning ordination in 1954.

For more than 20 years, O'Brien was involved in social services studies and ministry. He received his master's degree in social work from Catholic University in 1958, was the director of Health and Hospital Services for the Archdiocese of San Francisco from 1958 to 1972, served as the general director of San Francisco Catholic Charities from 1972 to 1979, was the president of the Catholic Hospital Association from 1968 to 1969, was the president of the California Hospital Association from 1971 to 1972 and served as a consultant to the Federal Department of Health Education and Welfare for seven years in the '70s.

O'Brien was also appointed Papal Chamberlain in 1966 and was appointed Prelate of Honor in 1972.

In 1979, O'Brien was assigned to St. Martin's Parish. During his 11 years there, the 6-foot, 2-inch tall priest who was always willing to swing a child around in his arms became a favorite with the children of the parish. He was also known to stroll into classrooms to hold impromptu discussions about religion and faith and answer questions.

O'Brien led St. Martin's through its hiring of the first layman principal and led the school through a complete renovation, which won a Benedictus Award from the Diocese of San Jose.

But his time at St. Martin's was not without its problems. O'Brien was criticized by some parishioners who didn't like the modern church or the changes that came with it--such as face-to-face confessionals instead of the traditional booths and the removal of the tabernacle from behind the altar.

But the Rev. William O'Keefe, who served at St. Martin's for a number of years, said at O'Brien's funeral that his willingness to do what he thought was best in the face of criticism was a sign of leadership.

In 1990, O'Brien moved on to St. Mary's Parish in Los Gatos, where he served as senior priest.

O'Brien, said Los Gatan and parishioner Lerin O'Neill, made it easy for children and teens to talk about God. O'Neill first met O'Brien at St. Mary's when she was thinking of becoming baptized.

O'Brien led the retirement board when the diocese decided to lease and refurbish St. Joseph's Retirement Center. He retired there himself in 1996.

O'Brien is survived by brothers Ed O'Brien and Jack O'Brien of San Mateo; sister Marie Cronin of Dublin; and seven nieces and nephews.

Services were held July 12 at St. Joseph's Church in Cupertino, with burial following on July 13 at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos.

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