Beloved wife and companion, teacher and scholar, Elvy Setterqvist O’Brien passed peacefully into eternal life at 12:05 a.m., Monday, August 31, 2015.

She was born, Elvy Astrid Carlson, in the Norwegian Hospital, Brooklyn, New York, December 12, 1925, of Swedish parents, Ernst Carlson and Astrid Setterqvist Carlson. The family moved to Stockholm, Sweden, in 1934, where Elvy received her primary, secondary, and business education. She worked for L.M. Ericsson in New York, 1950-52, and for Ford Motor Co. in Stockholm.

In 1964, she married Charles Harold O’Brien in Stockholm and returned with him to the U.S. to pursue an academic career in art history. She earned a B.A. from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, an M.A. from Ohio State University, and a Ph. D. from the University of Iowa. She published several articles and book reviews on Johan Tobias Sergell, the subject of her doctoral dissertation, and her other fields of scholarly interest. For several years, she taught art history at Western Illinois University in Macomb and Monmouth College. She often tutored friends and students in Swedish.

She was baptized and raised in the Church of Sweden and was a faithful member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown. Among her fondest memories were hours spent in the knitting group and various language circles.

She leaves behind her husband of fifty years, Charles, her niece Christina Grip and her nephew Christian Grip, both of Stockholm. Her sister, Elsie Grip, passed away in 2014.

Instead of flowers you may contribute in her name to St. John’s Episcopal Church and/or Habitat for Humanity or a charity of your choice. Funeral services and burial will take place at a later date. To send a message or a card, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Elvy Setterquist O'Brien, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.