Dennis J. O'Brien

Dennis J. O'Brien, 64, of Manchester, husband of Jeanine (Gaudreau) Drobiak O'Brien, died Friday (December 24, 2010) at St. Francis Hospital, Hartford. Born in Canaan, he was the son of John and Evelyn (Misner) O'Brien and lived in Newington for 25 years prior to moving to Manchester nine years ago. Dennis was a graduate of the Housatonic Regional High School in Falls Village and the Oliver Wolcott Technical School in Torrington. He was employed in facilities management at Connecticut Mutual in Hartford for 25 years and then for Grubb & Ellis at Aetna Life & Casualty in Middletown. Dennis was a veteran of the Vietnam Conflict serving in the U.S. Navy. He was a member of the Lion's Club in Newington and also taught HVAC at Tunxis Community College in Farmington. Besides his wife Jeanine, he is survived by a son and a daughter; Shawn O'Brien of West Hartford and Michelle Virgulto of Wallingford; three step children; Gordon Tuttle of Windsor, Renee Ilewicz and her husband, Michael, of Coventry and Alyssa Drobiak of Bolton; a brother, John O'Brien and his wife Charlene of Franklin, MA; two sisters; Suzanne O'Brien of Canton and Lynette O'Brien of Bomoseen, VT; six grandchildren; Stephanie Virgulto of Wallingford as well as John, Colby, Ryleigh, Jaxson and Samantha. The funeral will be Thursday (December 30) beginning at 9 a.m. from the D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at Holy Spirit Church, 183 Church Street, Newington. Burial with full military honors will be in the State Veterans Cemetery, Middletown. Calling hours will be on Wednesday, (December 29) from 4-7 p.m. at the funeral chapel in Wethersfield. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society , 825 Brook Street, I-91 Tech Center, Rocky Hill, CT 06067-3045. For on-line expressions of sympathy please visit www.desopo.com.