Robert S. O'Brien

Robert Stephen O’Brien (“OBie”), died on July 22nd after a brief illness. Born in New Haven on April 29, 1930 to Stephen and Cathleen O’Brien, Bob graduated from Hopkins School in New Haven and earned BA and MA degrees in the Classics from Trinity College. Following college he married Elizabeth (“Ceil”) Reidy, his wife of 51 years, and moved to Las Vegas to serve in the Air Force for two years. In 1955 Bob joined the faculty of Kingswood School (later, Kingswood Oxford) and taught Latin, Greek and sometimes Spanish for 40 years and ultimately served as Chairperson of the Classics Department. He did the impossible - made Latin fun and exciting utilizing his legendary humor and storytelling skills. He also served as the head varsity coach for baseball for 30 years and varsity/jv basketball for 20 years and assistant varsity coach for football for 25 years. He was inducted into the Kingswood Oxford Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. Bob also was the head coach for West Hartford’s American Legion baseball team for many years and brought the team to the Legion’s World Series in Idaho in 1973, an event recorded in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and for which he was awarded the West Hartford Outstanding Citizen award. His wife Ceil died after a long illness in 2003 and a few years later he married Victoria Roy and they wintered in Gulfport, FL for several years during which time he golfed, joined a shuffleboard league, wrote short stories and tutored, until she predeceased him. Bob moved back to West Hartford to live with his dear son Steve who sadly, died suddenly in 2017. Bob adopted Steve’s dog Bubba and the two lived comfortably together for four years, enjoying their walks together, listening to audio books and music and watching the Mets, Giants and UCONN games before Bob succumbed to a brief illness at age 91. Described as “a gentleman and a scholar”, Bob was a lifetime learner and coach, mentoring young people and taking Italian lessons well into his eighties. His grace, quiet strength, integrity, humility, humor and intellect were well-known and appreciated by all, especially his children and grandchildren who loved his endless storytelling and corny jokes. He is survived by his daughter Jane O’Brien and husband Alec Finley of Needham, MA, daughter Bobbie Stimpson and husband Al of Simsbury, grandchildren Katie Kelley, Chris O’Brien and wife Colleen, John Kelley, Tim Stimpson and wife Maggie, Garret Stimpson and wife Liane, Drew Stimpson, Ted Stimpson, Graham Finley, and Gennie Stimpson, and great grandchildren Lily Skinner, Harper Stimpson and Carter, Cam and Kaylee O’Brien, who all miss their Papa terribly already and will remember him always. Papa is their one of a kind treasure. A gathering of family and friends will be held at Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford from 4:00 to 8:00 on Thursday, July 29th. A funeral mass will be held on July 30th at 10:00 at St. Peter Claver Church, 47 Pleasant St., West Hartford. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Kingswood Oxford School to fund a scholarship in Bob’s name and improvements to sports facilities. Directions and online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com

Robert S. O'Brien

July 22, 2021