Neil Henry O'Brien

Neil Henry O’Brien, 84, of Edenton, NC, died Monday, February 9, 2015 while visiting with his family outside Atlanta, Georgia. Though his death was unexpected, he was fortunate to have been surrounded by many of his children and grandchildren at the time of his passing. Good timing was always his strong suit.

Neil was born in New York City on October 18, 1930—almost a year to the day after the stock market crash of 1929—but was fortunate to have been raised in a family which was able to avoid the financial devastation and privation which ravaged the country during the Great Depression. The elder of two boys born to Henry James and Marion Louise Harris O’Brien, Neil was raised in a rambling home in Port Washington, NY, where he could often be found cavorting around the neighborhood, sledding, skating and chasing his younger brother Don.

Finding a vocation which appealed to both his artistic interests—inherited from his father—and his mathematical skills—gleaned from his mother—Neil went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in ceramic engineering from Alfred University, to this day the preeminent institution for such studies.

After college he joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps, serving on the front lines of the cold war in Bonn, the capital of what was then West Germany. He returned home to the Eisenhower fifties, and quickly landed a job in his field with a ceramics company in Washington, Penn.

In 1957, while dining out, his eyes fell upon a beautiful and vivacious young woman as she entered on the arm of a very tall young fellow, who (thankfully) turned out to be her brother. His meal forgotten, Neil walked over and introduced himself to Don Meneely and his younger sister ,Lois. The rest is history. Neil married Lois Meneely on June 7, 1958, and they shared their lives together until her passing, much too soon, in 2005.

After their marriage, Neil and Lois relocated to Norwalk, Conn., where he gained employment with R.T. Vanderbilt Company, where he worked until his retirement in 1992. No fan of change for its own sake, Neil and his family were residents of Norwalk for 27 years. Near his retirement, they moved to Edenton, NC where he lived for an additional 30 years until his death.

Neil’s commitment to his community was exemplified by his active participation in The First Congregational Church on the Green during his time in Norwalk; and in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Edenton, as well as his service as an officer and fellow of the American Ceramic Society. His combination of deep spirituality and scientific skepticism made him an engaging conversationalist and an astute observer of the human condition. He laughed loudly, often and honestly. He loved to be surrounded by family and friends; but was as likely to be found within the confines of his favorite wing chair, quietly yet voraciously consuming a teetering stack of books.

He was a good man and well loved by those who knew him. He will be sorely missed.

Neil is preceded in death by his wife, Lois Marie Meneely O’Brien; brother, Donald Harris O’Brien; brother-in-law, Samuel Donald Meneely and is survived by his children, Daniel O’Brien of Laurel Mountain Borough, PA, Colleen O’Brien and her husband, John Hall, of Wilton, Conn., Sheila O’Brien of Roswell, GA, Kathleen Butcher and her husband, Brian, of Alpharetta, GA, Patrick O’Brien and his wife, Lea, of Milton, GA, Timothy O’Brien of San Francisco, CA, and Erin O’Brien of Roswell, GA; grandchildren, Aidan Hall, Hannah and Andrew Butcher, and Emma, Molly, Kelsey, Raphael, Nicholas, and Cristiana O’Brien; sisters-in-law, Sally O’Brien, and Carol Meneely; five nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church or to one’s favorite charity.