Atty. James E. (Jim) O'Brien Jr., 76, of Scranton, died Tuesday at Allied Services Hospice Center. His wife of 33 years is the former Noel Ryncavage Pace.
Born in Scranton, he was a son of the late James Sr. and Mary Athy O'Brien. A devout Catholic, he regularly attended Mass at St. Peter's Cathedral and St. Ann's Basilica. A 1965 graduate of Central High School and a 1967 graduate of Keystone College, Jim went on to the University of Houston, where he earned his bachelor's and Juris Doctorate degrees in 1969 and 1973, respectively.
Jim was a very respected member of the Bar, and a skilled trial lawyer in the civil and criminal courts. He spent many years representing clients as a public defender. He also served as a legal adviser to many Catholic organizations including Mercy Hospital, Marywood College, Diocese of Scranton and St. Joseph's Center.
Jim was also an expert in adoption law. He enjoyed, and was very proud of, assisting hundreds of families through the complexities of the adoption process.
From the time of his youth, Jim was an avid and accomplished golfer, winning many tournaments, including the Club Championship at his home club, The Country Club of Scranton and winning Member-Guest tournaments at the Country Club of Scranton, Elkview Country Club, Glen Oak Country Club and Elmhurst Country Club. He enjoyed the friendship and companionship of many local golfers especially Andy Beechko and Len Coleman with whom he partnered for many years in local tournaments.
Jim and Noel spent many happy years together and enjoyed traveling to many warm vacation destinations, including Pebble Beach, Hawaii and Mexico. He had a great love for his pets, especially his beloved Yorkie, Sweet Pea.
In addition to his wife, Noel, Jim is survived by his siblings, Joseph, John and Janet; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, in-laws and cousins.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Andrew O'Brien, in 2021.
The funeral will be Monday, June 12, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter, 315 Wyoming Ave., celebrated by the Rev. Jeffrey Tudgay, pastor. Friends and family may call at the church prior to Mass from 9 to 10 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim's honor may be made to Smile Train (smiletrain.org), Feed the Children (feedthechildren.org), ASPCA (aspca.org/memorial), or St. Joseph's Center Adoptions (stjosephscenter.org). Arrangements, Neil W. Regan Funeral Home Inc.