James Paul O'Brien

James (Paul) O’Brien, a native Arizonan, passed away on February 6, 2021. He was born in Bisbee, Arizona on December 9, 1934 to James and Virginia (Wojcik) O’Brien and died in Bisbee as well.

Growing up in Bisbee was a somewhat unique adventure; having lived with his parents, caretakers of mineshaft properties in Jiggerville and the Warren Shaft. Beginning in his 14th year, his father began taking him hunting. Currently, hanging on the wall of his den is the first hunting license he purchased on October 7, 1947. Row upon row of antlers hang in the garage, mounted yearly, after successful deer hunts. Paul lived and breathed hunting and enjoyed nothing more than sharing hunting experiences with anyone who ever went on a hunt. Upon returning to Arizona at retirement, he was able to enjoy several special deer hunts in Mexico and finally got the four-point buck he hunted for for so many years.

Paul began working for Phelps Dodge at the Mercantile in Bisbee when he was a junior in high school. He dreaded pay days when the mining families re-supplied their larders for the next two weeks with sacks of flour, beans and other heavy items that he and the other store employees would have to carry up flights of stairs all over town.

In 1957, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, took training in Fort Louis, WA and Fort Ord, CA. His entire 18 months of service was completed in Baumholder, Germany. Upon returning to Bisbee, he served four more years with the Army National Guard, and earned the rating of Staff Sgt. After his Army tour he was hired by Phelps Dodge Corp.

He took I.C.S. training to become a tinsmith for which he received an Outstanding Apprentice Award for his work. The motto in the tinshop was: “We can repair anything but the crack of dawn or a broken heart.” When P.D. terminated its Bisbee operation in 1975, Paul accepted employment as a tinsmith at the Hidalgo Smelter in Playas, NM and stayed 22 years until his retirement in 1997.

His aunt, Vlasta Mihelich introduced Paul to Gwen Csmarich, a teacher at Bisbee High School, and they were married in 1973.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years; sister Patricia McKinley; niece Michele McKinley and three cousins.

He was a member of Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church at which a funeral mass will be offered on February 18, at 10:00 a.m.

Be advised that attendance is limited to 50 due to Covid restrictions.

A private burial will be held at a later date.

If you wish to honor Paul’s memory, please consider a donation to a charity of your choice.

Funeral arrangements with Jensen’s Mortuary of Sierra Vista: jensenssierravistamortuary.com.

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