Lydia Lourene Burgess O’Brien of Malden passed away on May 25, 2026, after a brief illness. Born on August 20, 1947, she was the beloved daughter of the late Clarence and Gertrude “Gerty” Burgess of Malden.

Lourene graduated from Malden High School in 1965 and went on to work at Polaroid for 30 years before retiring. She loved spending time at the beach, watching the Boston Red Sox, and, most of all, being surrounded by family and friends.

Lourene was the devoted mother of William O’Brien and his wife, Debra, of Grandy, North Carolina and Derek O’Brien and his wife, Jodi, of Malden. Lala was the loving sister of Thomas Burgess, Patricia Pantone and her husband, Joseph, and Richard Burgess and his partner, Benny Mitrano. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Donna Ranson and Virginia “Ginger” McElroy, and her brother-in-law, Robert McElroy. Lourene was a proud and loving “Nanny Lala” to Kimberly Blake and her husband, Corey Loveday; Hanna and her Husband Raven Atkins; Jillian O’Brien, Samuel Holden, and Jared O’Brien. She was a beloved “Auntie Lala” to Ashley Bailey, Maddie McElroy, Brittany, Michael, and Danielle Pantone. She was preceded in death by her nephew, Brendan McElroy. She was also a caring cousin on the Lucas side of her family and a loving aunt and in-law within the O’Brien family, and a dear friend to many. Lourene was also the cherished great-grandmother of Carlie Burgess Loveday and Bedford Coye Loveday. 

Visiting hours will be held at the A. J. Spadafora Funeral Home, 865 Main Street, Malden on Saturday May 30th from 12:00pm-3:00pm. A prayer service will be held at 2:30pm during the visitation. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.