Jack O'Brien, 92 of Abilene was born in Los Angeles, CA November 19, 1928 and left this Earth on December 28, 2020.
Jack was a photographer and innovative dark room developer. He witnessed and adapted to so many changes in the photography industry. He began learning from his father-in-law and continued schooling in the military when he joined the Air Force and served for 4 years before being discharged at the rank of Tech SGT. His civilian career began in Hollywood working with famed portrait photographer John Engstead. He then went to work for North American Rockwell, where he worked on some of the early Apollo space missions and was known throughout the industry as the "go to" person if a negative was considered "impossible" to develop. Jack had a brief stint away from the dark room when he joined his brothers in running a tree nursery in California. He returned to photography for the end of his career and worked as a civil servant for the Navy as head photographer in Norco, CA until his retirement in 1990. Jack lost his wife , Diane in 1995 to cancer and moved to Abilene with his daughter in 2009.
He is survived by his son, Doug, daughter in law Patti, granddaughters Joyce and Judi and his daughter Elaine. The family has chosen cremation. Jack will be laid to rest at a Veterans Cemetery in California at a later date.
The family suggests memorials be given to the American Cancer Society. Memorials may be dropped off or mailed to Danner Funeral Home, 501 N. Buckeye, Abilene, Kansas 67410.