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Fans of comedian and late-night host Conan O’Brien have shared their condolences following the news of his parents’ passing, just days apart, after 66 years of marriage.
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Dr. Thomas O’Brien, 95, and his wife, Ruth Reardon O’Brien, 92, died peacefully of natural causes, with Thomas passing on Monday, December 9, and Ruth following him on Thursday, December 12. While the sadness of losing both parents so close together weighs heavy, many were moved by the poetic timing of their deaths, a testament to their deep bond.
Conan O’Brien, 61, reflected on the legacy of love, curiosity, and humor his parents left behind. He shared heartfelt anecdotes about his father’s infectious laughter, particularly during cherished moments spent watching Peter Sellers’ Pink Panther films.
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“I’ve never heard anyone laugh as loudly as my dad did in those moments,” Conan shared. “He was frequently the funniest person in any room, and when he laughed, his entire body shook as if he were hugging himself.”
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For Conan, Dr. O’Brien was an endless source of inspiration—a man bursting with curiosity and energy. “Science has said there’s no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong,” he explained.
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Thomas O’Brien had a remarkable career in medicine and research. Born in January 1929, he became a trailblazer in antimicrobial drug resistance research. He was the first director of the associated division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and served as an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Even after his retirement in 2019, his legacy of dedication and curiosity inspired his family.
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“He was interested in everything — absolutely everything,” Conan said. “I’ve never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father.”
Ruth Reardon O’Brien was equally accomplished, shattering gender barriers in law at a time when few women entered the profession. She attended Yale Law School, where she was one of only four women in her class. Ruth became a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court law clerk before building a distinguished career at Ropes & Gray in Boston.
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In 1978, she became the firm’s second female partner, a groundbreaking milestone. Ruth received the iRelaunch Pioneering Relauncher Award in 2017, celebrating her resilience and leadership.
Conan noted his parents’ shared commitment to their family and each other, raising six children—Justin, Neal, Luke, Kate, Jane, and Conan—in a loving and nurturing home.
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Thomas and Ruth first met in 1958 through Ruth’s brothers, who were Thomas’s classmates. Their strong partnership and unshakable bond were a cornerstone of their lives together, sustaining them for over six decades.
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In addition to their six children, the couple left behind nine grandchildren, including Conan’s two children, 21-year-old Neve and 19-year-old Beckett, with his wife, Liza Powel.
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A funeral mass for the couple is planned for Wednesday, December 18, in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Fans and admirers of Conan O’Brien, touched by the couple’s remarkable lives and enduring love, have continued to express their sympathies.
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While the loss is profound, their story offers a moving example of a lifetime spent together, united in love, humor, and shared accomplishments.
