Brigid H. O'Brien

Born Brigid Dwyer Hume on November 25, 1933, at Norwalk Hospital, she was the daughter of Raphael Hume and Mary Ellen Butler Hume. A lifelong Stamford resident, she graduated from the Academy of the Holy Child in Suffern NY, and attended Rosemont College and Yale University. She is survived by her son, John Patrick O’Brien, his wife Erica and their daughter Sophia, and by her daughter, Polly O’Brien Morrow, her husband Robert and their daughters Kristin and Kaitlyn. She is also survived by her sisters, Mary Louise Hume and Justine Shultz, her sister-in-law, Tulita Hume, and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her loving husband of 40 years, John Robert O’Brien, her sisters, Dorothy Knapp and Elizabeth Ciseau, and her brother, Thomas Hume. She grew up on Westover Road in the house on Chub Creek designed by her architect father. She taught preschool before marrying her husband John on May 3, 1958, at St. Maurice Church in Stamford. They resided in Woodside Village before moving to Ralsey Road in Shippan in the late 1960s. Soon after John’s passing in 1998, Brigid moved to her beautiful Heywood Heights condominium. She was a homemaker, loving parent, Cub Scout Den Mother, Girl Scout Troop Leader, and was always ready to lend a hand wherever it was needed. She was an active member of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Woodway Country Club, the Shippan Point Garden Club, and had been a friend of Bill W. since 1984. A wonderful cook, she took classes at the New School and briefly worked for St. John’s in Noroton and Smith Barney in New York City during the 1980s. She shared her love of cooking with many friends and family members and was a fabulous hostess who particularly loved hosting tea parties in recent years. She was a prolific painter with a passion for watercolors – the wetter the better! She studied with Diane Faxon, Rowayton Arts Center, Silvermine, and at artists’ workshops at the Greenville Arms in the Catskills, and the Coastal Maine Art Workshops in Port Clyde with teachers such as Barbara Nechis, Frank Webb, and Stanley Maltzman. Her works have been displayed at the New Canaan Carriage Barn and Bar Bel Jewelry store. Brigid was a passionate supporter of the environment, and loved was an adventurous traveler. She loved visiting her sisters in Berkelely, CA, and Oxford, England. National Parks visited included Acadia, Bryce, Monument, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. She also crossed the Arctic Circle on the Norwegian Coastal Voyage. Closer to home in recent years, she enjoyed visiting family and friends in Martha’s Vineyard and Decatur, Georgia. She was known for her kindness, faith, and generosity of spirit, and was a terrific friend, confidant and advisor to many. Above all else, she was gracious, and always had a positive thing to say about everyone. One of the words often used to describe her was “sweet.” Visiting Hours will held at Leo P. Gallagher and Sons Funeral Home, 2900 Summer Street, Stamford on Monday, August 24, from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, 1200 Shippan Avenue in Stamford on Tuesday, August 25 at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to your favorite environmental organization or charity. Among Brigid’s favorites were the Bartlett Arboretum (bartlettarboretum.org), where she painted many a beautiful flower and landscape, and the National Parks Conservation Association (ncpa.org). Online condolences may be made by visiting www.leopgallagherstamford.com