Dellanna West O’Brien, the first international missionary to serve as executive director-treasurer of national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), died Sept. 7, in Frisco, Texas. She was 75.
She suffered what WMU officials described as “a massive cerebral bleed” Sept. 4 after falling and hitting her head at her home.
“Dellanna O’Brien is one of the most amazing women I have ever known,” Wanda S. Lee, O’Brien’s successor at WMU, said. “She possessed a deep love for the Lord and her family and made countless sacrifices as she led WMU through 10 challenging years in our denomination.”
O’Brien assumed leadership of the national missions organization in 1989 and was instrumental in propelling WMU into the 21st century with new and innovative ways to engage a larger audience in missions.
Many of WMU’s hands-on missions initiatives also were begun under O’Brien’s leadership, including Volunteer Connection, Christian Women’s Job Corps, WorldCrafts and Project HELP.
Born on July 20, 1933, in Wichita Falls, Texas, O’Brien earned a bachelor of science degree from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, in 1953 and worked as an elementary school teacher 1953–1963.
For the next nine years, 1963–1971, she served with her husband, Bill, and children as missionaries to Indonesia through the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board). While there, she taught English and piano at a seminary in Semarang.
Upon returning to the United States, O’Brien pursued graduate studies and received a master’s degree in education from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth in 1972 and a doctorate in education from Virginia Tech in Blacksbug, Va., in 1983.
O’Brien suffered a stroke in 1998 but continued to serve WMU faithfully.
Upon her retirement a year later, in 1999, WMU established the Dellanna West O’Brien Leadership Award as a way to honor O’Brien and her legacy while recognizing a dynamic female leader.
O’Brien also served as vice president of Baptist World Alliance (BWA) from 2005 until earlier this year and had held numerous other BWA positions through the years.
Author of four books, O’Brien is survived by her husband of 56 years, three children and six grandchildren.
(BP, ABP, BWA)
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