John O'Brien

John F. O'Brien

John F. O'Brien, 76, died January 2, 2020 at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California from a heart attack.

John grew up in Rockingham, North Carolina and graduated from Rockingham High School in 1961. He then attended North Carolina State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting in 1965, a Master of Science in Psychology in 1972 and Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology in 1973.

After receiving his doctorate, John worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1974 – 1979. In 1979, John accepted a position with the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, California where he eventually became a Senior Project Manager. He worked at EPRI until his retirement in 1998.

John was fulfilled by his work and retained a lifelong passion for protecting the environment and studying the effects of climate change. In his free time, John enjoyed backpacking, skiing, biking and tennis. In his later years, John was an avid reader and follower of politics. John was also known for his dry and, at times, irreverent sense of humor. He always enjoyed a good story and a good laugh. Above all else, John was a wonderful and devoted father. He and his daughter, Kelly, especially enjoyed attending football games at her alma mater, the University of California. They were proud California Golden Bear fans at twenty-four consecutive Big Games.

John was predeceased by his parents, Woodrow and Frances O'Brien. He is survived by his daughter, Kelly, his sister, Glenda O. Thomas, his nephew, Houston Thomas (Elizabeth), his niece, Sandra Gans (Jeff), his great-nephew, Connor Gans and his great-niece, Allie Gans and many more family and friends. John will be sorely missed by all those who knew him.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in John's memory to a charity of your choice.