Jon P. O'Brien

Jon “Beef” O’Brien, age 47 of Sioux City, Iowa, passed away in the company of his beloved wife, Gretchen, and loving daughter early in the morning on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Jon and his loved ones found out in December of 2024 that he had cancer. It moved so quickly and cancer ultimately took his life. Services will be held on Saturday, August 2nd, 2025 at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel at 6200 Morningside Avenue in Sioux City, Iowa. Visitation will be from 3 to 5 pm with a Celebration of Life beginning at 5pm.

Jon was born in Waterloo, Iowa on July 18th, 1978 and the world was never the same. One of his favorite stories to tell his children was that on the day he was baptized, lightning struck the church. They still aren’t sure if that is true or if it was just a story he made up. Jon married the love of his life and soulmate, Gretchen Chilcote, on September 18th of 2004. Jon would tell you that Gretchen was late on their wedding day – per usual.

Together, Jon and Gretchen created three beautiful children – Adrianah (18), Hailey (15), and Liam (11). Anyone who knew Jon knew his family. Jon’s reason for living were his wife and kids and anyone who knew him knows this to be true. This family is unseparable and where one is, along come the others. Jon was a true “family man”. His children didn’t always appreciate his ridiculous humor and, let’s be honest, neither did Gretchen. They would often be caught saying “Dad!” or “Jon!” and giggling about the comments that would leak out of his mouth. One thing was certain – there was, and will always be, a deep, deep love that this family spreads to anyone they encounter. To know the O’Brien’s is to know camaraderie, love, humor, and fun and Jon instilled that into every single loved one he left here on Earth.

Jon worked at several places throughout his life, but his most notable places of work were Watco, the City of Hudson, the City of Sioux City, and RP Constructors. Jon made friends that turned into family at each of these places of work. Once you met Jon, you’d never be a stranger again to him. Jon turned many co-workers into “family” members. Jon didn’t know what the word “stranger” meant and he built a sense of camaraderie amongst any group of people he was a part of. Jon was never short on having smart aleck comments, he was full of sarcasm, andalways had a joke to tell. He was also one of the most stubborn men you would ever meet. Even towards the end as the doctors were giving Jon “hours” to live, he looked at his wife and anyone in the room with them and would say, “I’m not dying!”

Jon is survived by his soulmate and the love of his life, Gretchen O’Brien (Chilcote), his three children, Adrianah, Hailey, and Liam, and a “brother from another mother”, Jason Hansen. Jon was preceded in death by his beloved father, Mark O’Brien.