David R. O'Brien, 77, of Lakewood Ranch, FL, passed away on January 12, 2024, after a long health battle that he fought with courage and grace. Before moving to Florida with his beloved wife, Karen, he was a resident of Hampstead, NH for 30 years. He is remembered by his friends and family as an exceptionally friendly, quick-witted and kind man who went out of his way to help others and to bring joy into people's lives.

David was born in Portland, ME on December 13, 1946 to Robert F. and Emilda Eliason O'Brien. He graduated from Windham High School in Windham, ME, and loved to share stories of his time on the basketball court and at sock hops. (He was, in fact, a jitterbug champion in his youth. That skill resurfaced at many a wedding reception.) He was a quintessential New Englander, from his accent to his love of fly fishing in the Maine woods to the Boston sports caps he always wore.

After school, David worked for many years in the electrical utility industry, first in Maine and then NH. While living in Hampstead, David was a devoted Lifetime Member of the Hampstead Civic Club. He served as a coach and commissioner for youth basketball and softball and enthusiastically enjoyed helping kids to learn about and love sports. He also played sports in men's leagues with his Civic Club friends and was a fixture at the town's 4th of July Celebrations, helping to run the event.

David brought that same gusto to Lakewood Ranch, as he and Karen became immersed in tennis and made many great friends. He loved to travel, and he explored new places with a sense of wonder and a nonstop smile. But David was equally happy at home "puttering." He could fix anything; he was meticulous and took great care with each project. He loved music and played Oldies incessantly... yet somehow always knew the best new songs, even before his daughter Katie did.

But his greatest quality was his superhuman ability to connect with people. Wherever he went, from the grocery store to the Appalachian Trail to the Colosseum in Rome, he said hi to everyone and had a knack for making friends. His down-to-earth nature and riotous sense of humor made him easy to talk to. He loved people, and he loved to learn about everyone he met.

No one felt that love more strongly than his family. He was a devoted husband and father, and his love lived in the small, everyday gestures. He often brought Karen flowers and cut out the crossword puzzle for her to complete each day. He was his daughter Katie's best friend, calling daily to ask about the California weather or whether she'd gotten her coffee, always as a guise to start what became a deeper conversation. He was an exceptional father-in-law, sharing wisdom on home repair and on parenting whenever asked. And he was the most fun Grampa to his grandson Julian, playing Spiderman around the kitchen island, starting dance parties, and showing how to shape a baseball mitt.

David was a source of joy to those around him. The world is a bit dimmer without him in it. But those that knew him were so lucky to encounter that smile.

David is survived by his wife of 43 years, Karen, and their daughter Katie O'Brien, son-in-law Dave Holstein and grandson Julian of Los Angeles, CA, as well as many family members and lifelong friends who will miss him dearly. 

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