Arthur T. Obin

Rev. Arthur T. Obin, OMI, 74, died on January 16, 2013, at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, FL, after a lengthy illness. He was born in Nashua, NH, on April 2, 1938, the son of the late Arthur and Olive (Renaud) Obin and one of four children. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister-in-law, Janice (Chartier) Obin, wife of his brother, Richard.
Fr. Obin attended St. Joseph Seminary High School in Bucksport, ME and Oblate colleges in Bar Harbor, ME, and Natick, MA. He entered Our Lady of Grace Novitiate, Colebrook, NH, in August, 1957, professing his first vows August 2, 1958, and perpetual vows September 8, 1962. His ordination to the priesthood took place on January 19, 1964, in Notre Dame de Lourdes Church, Lowell, MA, with Bishop Louis Collignon, OMI, officiating.
He was assigned to the Northern U.S. Province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. His first assignment in 1964 was chaplain for the Boy Scouts of America, Camp Carpenter, NH. He served in several parishes: St. Charles Parish, Washington, DC; Parochial Vicar of Ste. Jeanne d'Arc Parish, Lowell, MA; Pastor and Superior of St. Jean-Baptiste Parish, Lowell, MA; Pastor of St. Mary Parish, Claremont, NH; and, finally, Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Riviera Beach, FL, for 11 years until his death.
Fr. Obin also served in retreat houses. He was Assistant Director at Ephpheta Retreat House, Manville, RI, and then joined the retreat staff at Immaculata Retreat House, Willimantic, CT. He was on staff at St. Joseph the Worker Shrine in downtown Lowell, MA as a counselor in conjunction with a chaplaincy at the Franco-American School. While in Lowell, Fr. Obin served as a member of the Archdiocesan Priest Senate.
From July, 1992, to February, 1999, he served on the provincial council of the Northern U.S. Province, first as a councilor, then vicar provincial. In 1997, he became the Provincial Superior of the Northern U.S. Province with residence at the provincial house in Hudson, NH. When all U.S. provinces merged into one in 1999, he became the first Area Superior of the newly formed Northeast Area and served until 2002. During this time, he was on the Council of Priests for the Diocese of Manchester, NH, for a one year term. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Shrine of our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL.
In 2002, Fr. Obin went to St. Francis of Assisi in Riviera Beach, his final assignment. He was the Superior of the West Palm Beach District from 2004 to 2008.
Besides his Oblate family, Fr. Obin is survived by two brothers, Richard Obin of Nashua, NH, and Lionel Obin and his wife, Yvette, of France, and one sister, Muriel Gelinas, and her husband, Jean, of Merrimack, NH, as well as several nieces and nephews.