Paul Gordon O'Brien

Paul Gordon O’Brien was born on November 20, 1945, in Baltimore, MD. He was joyfully welcomed into the world by his parents, Albert (Buck) and Ethel O’Brien, who had waited ten long years to have a child. Paul would be their one and only child, and they lovingly referred to him as their “number one son”. When Paul was 5 years old, the O’Brien family moved to northern Virginia where he would spend the next 70 years of his life. Though Paul was their only child, he certainly kept their hands full. Paul was a quick learner and could learn just by hearing matters explained. His mother would often joke that he graduated high school by “osmosis” and never had to put a lot of effort into it. The other side of that story is that he often found himself with extra time at school and landed in the principal’s office more times than his parents would have liked to admit. But that ability to hear, learn, and understand would serve him well for the days to come.

As soon as he was able, Paul went to work as a grocery bagger at a Safeway grocery store. He would get out of school and walk a mile to the store to work his shifts. From there, Paul would go to work at the diesel mechanic shop his father owned and operated where he worked on commercial trucks and drove them around the truck yard and in and out of the garage bays for service. The mechanical skills he learned during this time would become a defining element of his life. Later, Paul would get a job for a brief time at a local plumbing company where he met a lifelong friend who became someone he would enjoy many hobbies with for decades.

Paul’s career path began to take shape when he took a job as a courier for the System Development Corporation – a business in the up-and-coming industry of data processing. He soon became a computer operator trainee and received on-the-job training on the state-of-the-art IBM 360. He seemed to have a way of figuring out how to be in the right place at the right time.

It was during these days that Paul noticed and took an interest in a young lady named Paula who lived just two doors down from the house he was renting. Paul was living on his own, and he drove a red Ford Thunderbird convertible, so Paula had noticed him, too. A relationship began, and Paul promptly took Paula to meet his mother. The two ladies hit it off quickly and developed a precious bond, and Paula, who had been rarely able to be in church, was immediately influenced by Ethel’s beautiful Christian testimony. Paul and Paula were soon married as he sought to protect her from a difficult home life. They were young, and, like so many others, had to work to figure out how to merge their schedules and juggle jobs on different shifts all while sharing one car and using the local bus. It wasn’t always easy, but they figured it out.

In their first year of marriage, Paul and Paula welcomed their daughter, Janice, into their lives. Janice was adored and shared a sweet relationship with her dad as she was the only child for 15 years. In those days, they referred to themselves as “Pop” and “Pup”. Paul worked to bring joy to her life and one specific highlight was the gift of Kho-Kho, Jan’s first dog. In the 80s, Paul and Paula continued their story by welcoming two more children into their lives, two boys, Alan and Darren, who would continue the family name. The O’Brien home became a lot more rambunctious, and many more memories were made. Their addition would complete the O’Brien home and create a family unit that has been deeply treasured by each of them. Also, Paula’s handicapped sister, Glenda, was a key member of the family and loved being the only aunt of Paul and Paula’s children.

Over the years, Paul would continue to develop his career in the Information Technology world where he worked for several companies spending the majority of his years at the Planning Research Corporation and Northrop Grumman where he supervised government contracting proposals and operations, and ultimately retired in 2012. Paul was a devoted worker and businessman. He modeled diligence and something that he would expect from his children throughout their lives that he simply called, “’A’ quality work”. He faithfully got up and went to work every day, even when he didn’t feel well, and no matter what the weather conditions. Like clockwork, he woke up, put on a suit and tie, and went to work.

Paul worked hard, but that work allowed him the undeniable joy of being able to provide a comfortable home and life for his family. One of Paul’s greatest delights came in 1995 when he and Paula decided to sell their home in Springfield, VA, and move outside of the Washington D.C. Beltway to Leesburg, VA. They purchased a new home on three acres and embraced a quieter and more peaceful way of life. Notably, Alan Jackson’s song, “Gone Country” had just been released, and it seemed fitting for Paul as he bought himself a straw hat to wear while he mowed his new lawn on a 1975 Ford 3000 tractor.

Paul loved to plan summer vacations for the family. For many years this meant traveling to a beach somewhere along the Atlantic coast. The vacation fun increased when Paul purchased a motorhome that would be used to make memories each year in numerous destinations between Disney World and Nova Scotia, Canada (where the O’Brien family first settled from Ireland). Paul also loved to squeeze in weekend camping trips in southern Pennsylvania (which he always referred to as Pennsyltucky) where many memories were made while sitting by a running creek, grilling food, watching the Amish buggies ride by, and playing Skip-Bo.

Paul loved enjoying life and had many different interests over the years. He had a unique interest in cars. Whether it was his 1963 Ford Galaxie 500, or his two different Chrysler 300Cs,

he had a knack for finding the unique car with the noteworthy engine under the hood. He loved boating and had a few boats over the years which made their way back and forth across the Potomac Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay many times. Paul was known to count down the days until boating season. Much seafood was enjoyed over the years while boating and being near the water. Paul also loved the thrill of flying planes. He enjoyed flying and wanted others to be able to enjoy it as well, so he became a flight instructor and went as far as he could in that hobby until he was limited from going further due to his colorblindness. He later took an interest in Sporting Clays shooting as it was coming onto the scene and enjoyed spending time going to different ranges and tournaments with Alan and Darren. It was Sporting Clays that brought about the “need” to have a golf cart, another interest that Paul greatly enjoyed for many years.

Paul became known by many as a gentle man who had a pleasant smile. He was a hard worker. He was patient, especially when making purchases, and had the self-discipline to wait for the right deal. He was a problem solver and was known for saying, “we can fix this”. He spoke honestly and imparted wisdom to his children. He loved music of many genres, but Bluegrass and some Southern Gospel music were his favorites. He loved humor and a good laugh. TV shows like Dick Van Dyke, Home Improvement, and Monk were among his favorites. He loved going out for breakfast on Saturday mornings, either with Paula or with the whole family – an endeavor that often meant crossing a state line, sometimes on a ferry boat, and going to a small mom-and-pop restaurant in a quaint town. Those car rides and the time around the table will never be forgotten. He was notorious for being a Christmas Eve shopper and braved the crowds to provide meaningful gifts for his wife and children. And he could give you a look that told you he loved you and was proud of you.

In the last seven years of Paul’s life, things changed with the onset of dementia. The man his family knew was still there in front of them, but things were progressively different. It was during this time that Paul and Paula relocated to Louisville to be near family again. Paul’s days in Kentucky were good ones. Many days were spent driving around in the car and learning new roads and places. The train tracks in the backyard of their new home brought Paul a lot of joy as the train would come rolling through. And much time and many meals were shared together with his grandchildren. In May 2021, Paul moved into Symphony at Valley Farms to receive Memory Care where he was given the affectionate nicknames, “Gentle Giant” and “Paulie”. The caregivers at Symphony were a huge help to the family, and they loved Paul well.

Paul will be remembered as a loving and providing husband, a tender and instructive father, and a gentle and playful Papa to his six grandchildren.

Paul passed away on Friday, March 8, 2024. He is preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Ethel O’Brien, and is survived by his wife, Paula, his children: Janice, Alan (Amy), and Darren (Amanda), his grandchildren: Allison, Judson, Ethan, Juliette, Logan, and Madelyn, his sister-in-law, Glenda, and his much-loved cousins.

He will be greatly missed.

His Funeral will be held on Saturday March 16, 2024 at 10:00 am at the Landmark Independent Baptist Church, 6502 Johnsontown Road with Burial following in the Brookland Cemetery in Shepherdsville, Ky. The family will receive family and friends on Friday March 15, 2024 at the Advantage Funeral Home - Hardy Chapel from 4 - 8pm at the funeral home.