Michael Hughes O'Brien

West Point, 1975

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Claire O'Brien on December 27, 2021:

This is something that I wrote a while ago for my father - I realized tonight that my best friend didn't know how my father passed away. This was jarring for several reasons. I don't talk about my father much because he is with me every day. I am indirectly reminded of him all the time. I don't need to talk about him to remember him. I've spent more than half of my life without him. It's become part of who I am. He is a part of my makeup, for better or worse. His favorite flowers were irises. He went to West Point, served in South Korea. He had a PhD in Materials Engineering, and worked at a nuclear lab. He was extremely outdoorsy, active, and health conscious. He was a musician. He played guitar, banjo, saxophone - you name it. I sang in the church choir with him while he played guitar. He loved to sing the song "Traveling Soldier" by the Dixie Chicks around the campfire. He loved to take us camping. He taught me to love math and to challenge my mind. He loved to play hockey. He was my coach. His name was Micheal Hughes O'Brien. My name is Claire Michelle O'Brien. I was named after him. I carry him with me every day.

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