Conan O’Brien’s parents, who were married for over 60 years, die 3 days apart
Conan O’Brien and his siblings are mourning the loss of their parents after they died only three days apart.
Dr. Thomas O’Brien, the father of the podcaster and TV host, died at home in Brookline, Massachusetts, at 95 on Dec. 9, according to his obituary. His wife of 66 years, Ruth Reardon O’Brien, died at 92 at their home on Dec. 12, according to The Boston Globe.
Thomas O’Brien was renowned for cofounding the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance, which created databases to help doctors respond to areas where drug-resistant strains of bacteria may be spreading, according to The Boston Globe.
The Harvard Medical School graduate also was the director of the infectious diseases division at what is now Brigham and Women’s Hospital, per his obituary.
Ruth Reardon O’Brien was a Yale Law School graduate and a pioneering partner at the law firm of Ropes & Gray in Boston, according to the firm. She became the second female partner in the firm’s history in 1978 after spending 10 years away to raise her children and later retired in 1996, per the law firm.
Ruth Reardon O’Brien met her husband through her brothers, who were his classmates at Holy Cross, according to The Boston Globe. They married in 1958 and had six children — four boys and two girls.
Thomas O’Brien was also a big fan of comedy. Conan O’Brien, 61, and his siblings were introduced to the work of legends like Jack Benny, Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers, through their dad, according to The Boston Globe.
Conan O’Brien’s father also had a vibrant presence of his own.
“He was often the funniest guy in the room,” Conan O’Brien said to the outlet. “And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself.”
“I’ve never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father,” Conan O’Brien added. “If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, I’d think, ‘Who the hell is this guy? He’s the most interesting person I’ve ever met.’”
