Francis Bonaventure O'Brien

Obituary of Francis O'Brien Francis Bonaventure, the beloved baby boy of David and Retzel, died of unknown causes on March 15, 2015 at 7:06 p.m. He was 7 weeks old. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his four siblings-Clare Jessica, Toby Zachariah, Joshua Raphael and Bernadette Marie. Francis was born on January 20 at 6:20 p.m. and he lived the normal life of a newborn, surrounded by love and affection. He was particularly attached to his mommy, both emotionally and literally. He was best known for finding comfort in his Retzel's arms. He loved his daily walks with Retzel and Bernadette and enjoyed the sun on his face. Clare and Toby loved to carry Francis and held him after school. Joshua and Bernadette loved to talk to Francis on his bouncy seat and were his playmates. From the very beginning, Francis exhibited great physical strength, lifting his head from the day he was born. He showed great strength of will until his last breath. When Retzel and David took him to urgent care last week, they didn't know it would lead to Francis being admitted to the hospital. After Francis failed to improve following a blood transfusion, the doctors searched for answers to explain Francis' condition. What they discovered after an MRI was that Francis had suffered seizures, a stroke and massive brain swelling. In light of the tests results, they told us that he would not recover and had only a few hours to live. After picking up the kids and Francis' grandparents, the entire family smothered him with love, tears, lullabies and praise songs as we released him to take his final journey to heaven. The doctors were amazed at Francis strength which allowed him to last for more than a day and a half after the MRI revealed his condition. We wondered why little Francis was holding on. Instead of dying on Friday night, his little heart persevered until Sunday evening. We think he was waiting so that the priest-David's boss at the parish where he works now and the one who celebrated a beautiful baptism for Francis a few weeks before-could rush back from Michigan. When Fr. Ed arrived a bit before 7 p.m., it was a shock. We never expected to see him. He anointed Francis and prayed with us in the midst of a tsunami of tears. When Fr. Ed left, Francis took his last breaths and went to be with the Lord. In his short life, we believe Francis fulfilled his earthly mission. He taught us so many things. We learned that the weakest and the smallest can be great examples of strength. He reminded us of how dependent we all are on our loving Father just as Francis depended on us for everything. Francis also showed us that every moment matters and we can make a tremendous impact in the little time we are given. In his short seven weeks of life, Francis was already a community builder, an example of strength, and a great source of love and affection. We know Francis is with God now and not suffering anymore. But the rest of us still need and depend on the love, prayers and support of our family, friends and loved ones through this most difficult of times. Pray for his siblings, who miss their little brother dearly. There will be a wake on Friday, March 27, 4-6 p.m. for family only at Beyers Funeral Home in Lady Lake, Florida. The funeral is set for 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 28 at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Lady Lake. (www.sttimothycc.com) All are welcome to the funeral. In lieu of flowers, two memorials have been set up for those wishing to honor Francis Bonaventure. Please do not feel obligated. Your prayers are worth their weight in gold. Francis O'Brien Memorial Fund Friends have set up a memorial fund for the family. You can visit http://www.gofundme.com/p6p7vk for more information. The Francis O'Brien Memorial Garden A small garden behind the school has been a new and ongoing project throughout the past year. With the pregnancy and birth of Francis, the garden has not received the attention Retzel intended to give it. If you would like to contribute to turning this garden into a memorial for Francis, please contact the school. We envision the garden to be filled with flowers, a fountain, maybe a bench, fruits and vegetables and a statue of St. Francis. We hope it will be a blessing for all the children in the school for years to come. Here is the school's information. www.lakemontessori.com