Deirdre Siobhan O'Connor

Deirdre Siobhan O’Connor Gehrke, our precious wife, mother, sister, daughter, and aunt, was taken from us suddenly on November 11, 2023.

Deirdre was born on August 9, 1979, the second child of a family that would eventually grow to include six children.  She eventually outgrew her thumb-sucking phase but she kept her favorite blankie until it was unraveled to shreds.  She participated in Irish dancing competitions as a little girl and won several medals.  She decided early on that owls were her favorite animal, ever after establishing gift ideas for her friends and family for the rest of her life.  She was outgoing and loved talking to people and getting to know them; she could make friends by talking to total strangers in line at the grocery store.

Halloween was her favorite time of year and she would spend months planning her annual party and her costumes, even making sure out of town family would get a box of Halloween goodies every year.  Family was always very important to her and she was usually the one organizing all the get-togethers and the Christmas name drawing.  Countless hours of card games were spent at her table where we would repeat the same jokes over and over without ever getting tired of them.  She was excited to plan more girls’ trips as our family has grown over the years to include more sisters-in-law and we will miss those opportunities to spend more time with her.

On March 14, 2011 she married Jess Gehrke, the man who would go on to balance her perfectly and become the love of her life.  She and her children, Siobhan and Nick, and Jess and his children, Kapree, Kyron, and Kayda, would blend to make a new family that was Deirdre’s joy.  She and Jess would go on to travel to multiple destinations together and were regular attendees of Real Salt Lake games.

Ireland was always a dream destination for her.  The trip was meticulously planned so that she wouldn’t miss a thing she wanted to see or do.  It was on the last day of this longed-for vacation that she was suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us.  Though far from her home and most of her family, her beloved husband never left her side.

Deirdre is preceded in death by a brother, Sean O’Connor; an aunt, Kathleen McMaster; and various grandparents and great-grandparents.  She is survived by her husband, Jess Gehrke; her children Siobhan, Nick, Kapree, Kyron, and Kayda; parents Michael and Miriam O’Connor; a sister, Megan (Matt) Lister; three brothers, Rory, Daniel (Jamie), and Niall (Chelsea) O’Connor; nieces Maya Lister and Victoria O’Connor; nephews Matthew Lister and Finn O’Connor; and so many, many more friends whose lives she has touched.  We will never be able to fill the hole that is left behind due to the loss of our amazing Deirdre.

All are welcome to a celebration of Deirdre’s life on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Stark’s Funeral Home, 3651 South 900 East. Guests are encouraged to use parking and entrance located on the north side of the building. If you knew Deirdre you would know the bigger the crowd, the better.  A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at Valley View Cemetery, 4335 West 4100 South.