Thomas Joseph O'Brien

After a long battle with Parkinson's disease, we are saddened to announce that our father, Thomas J. O'Brien, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2026, at Westminster-Canterbury in Winchester, Virginia, at the age of 94.

Tom was born on December 4, 1931, in Orange, New Jersey, and grew up in New York City. He graduated from Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree in history before serving two years in the United States Army. After his military service, he studied physics at Columbia University and later completed an accelerated Mechanical Engineering program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), earning a Master of Science in Engineering Science (Mechanics). He continued his lifelong search of knowledge with further studies at Harvard and Princeton.

Tom enjoyed a distinguished engineering and public service career spanning more than three decades. He worked on aircraft engine development at Pratt & Whitney, investigated aviation accidents for the Civil Aeronautics Board, contributed to the Supersonic Transport (SST) program, and spent most of his career with the Federal Aviation Administration, where he held several senior leadership positions and helped modernize the nation's air traffic control system. A licensed Professional Engineer, he earned numerous honors for his contributions to aviation and public service, including the Presidential Award for Outstanding Achievement and the FAA Distinguished Career Service Award. Following his government service, he continued working in aviation with private industry, including Lockheed Martin.

Retirement offered Tom new opportunities to serve others. He completed Georgetown University's Certificate Program in Theological Studies and devoted countless hours to his community. He served as President and Trustee of the Franklin Farm community near Reston, Virginia, and faithfully served his parish as a lector, Eucharistic Minister, and parish council member. His volunteer work also included serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children, managing the same-day surgery waiting room at Reston Hospital, assisting with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's vertical flight archives, helping students develop office skills through SOME (So Others Might Eat), and participating in a National Institutes of Health research study for six years.

While working in Hartford, Connecticut, Tom married his first wife, Marcia. Together they shared 32 years of marriage, raised two children, and built a loving family before Marcia passed away from colon cancer in 1991. Honoring her wish that he finds companionship again, Tom married Susan in 1992. Although their marriage ended in 1996, they remained lifelong friends.

Tom is survived by his sister, Barbara O'Brien of Stamford, Connecticut; his daughter, Christine Bilodeau and her husband, Richard (Rick), of South Riding, Virginia; his son, Stephen O'Brien and his wife, Amy, of Daytona Beach, Florida; his grandchildren, Sean Bilodeau, Marissa Vargas and her husband, Raymond, and Robert Alvarado and his wife, Gabrielle; and his beloved great-granddaughter, Peyton, whose birth in 2024 brought him tremendous joy.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects during a visitation on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Demaine Funeral Home, 10565 Main Street, Fairfax, Virginia. A Funeral Mass celebrating Tom's life will be held on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, Virginia. Interment will follow at 1:00 p.m. at Fairfax City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made in Tom's honor to Blue Ridge Hospice. https://give.blueridgecare.org/donate/main-donation-page

Tom was a man of deep faith, intellectual curiosity, integrity, and service. He will be remembered for his thoughtful leadership, generous spirit, unwavering work ethic, and steadfast devotion to his family, community, profession, church, and country. His legacy of compassion, excellence, and service will continue to inspire all who knew and loved him.