Andrew Francis O'Brien

Passed away suddenly, as Sunday turned to Monday, on April 28, 2025, Andrew Francis O'Brien, aged 82, of Cape Broyle. Leaving to mourn his presence: wife of 53 years and companion of 64 years, Dorothy (nee Rossiter); his two children Andrea and Aaron; sisters Monnie and Virginia; sisters and brothers in-law Bridie, Bud, Tillie and Joey, Muriel, Marion and Charlie, and Pat and Linda; nieces and nephews; great nieces and nephews; and good friends and neighbours.

Predeceased by: parents John and Angela; infant brother Pius; sister Anna; brother Philip; Billy, Fanny, and Kenny Power; O'Brien in-laws Jim, Cass, and Don; and Rossiter in-laws Matt and Mon, Martin and Tracy, Phonse, and Enid.

Our deepest appreciation to the staff at Ferryland Medical Clinic and Baltimore Pharmacy for their care and compassion, especially Administrative Assistant Sharon Melvin, Nurse Practitioner Sharon Aylward, and Pharmacist Katie O'Brien Boland. Also to the staff at the Health Sciences' Heart Centre for their diligence and kindness. And to good neighbours and friends Mary Collett, Tami and Colin Elson, and Trent Bishop for being by our side when our husband and father passed.

He fought to stay with us, facing almost two decades of medical issues with grace and strength. But the man who could once effortlessly squat an old train axile set up on two posts in the stable had grown tired. And how we wish that he was still here. He had just finished watching a bit of the hockey game, made sure his cat Fanny (or Little Girl as he called her) was in for the night, collected his tablet and his mug of water, and headed upstairs to read some short stories before calling it a night. He died in the home he was born in. The only place he ever wanted to be and the only place where he was genuinely comfortable enough to be himself.

We will miss seeing him out in the yard puttering around. Or in the stable at his newest redesign project, making splits, lifting weights, or doing some sit-ups. The daybed in the kitchen will forever be his spot - where he took naps by the wood stove with Fanny curled up next to him, read books, browsed on his tablet, or contemplated in solitude this journey through the universe that we are all on. We will miss his floods of ideas and his way of doing things - many a bit off the wall, but ones he tried out anyway. He was a thinker, an overthinker, a debater, a storyteller, a voracious reader, a lover of company, a man of virtue, a man of flaws, and a man who sometimes let his self-doubt win.

He was of a generation that didn't say "I love you" easily, but we knew beyond a doubt that he loved us fiercely. He was so proud of his children and of his nephews and nieces who paid him regular visits. And he loved Dot Rossiter, his opposite in many ways but the only woman he ever wanted. He spoke so often of the ones he loved who had gone before him that it felt as if they had never left us. And we will honour him in the same way. He would be the first to tell you about his imperfections and regrets. His modesty was not false. And while he always pined for the things he didn't do and the losses he faced, we loved him for all the things he was and the things he wasn't.

The man who would always compliment a "tasty dinner." Who wouldn't let you leave the house without saying "be good" and "drive careful now." The man who had a soft spot for every living thing to the point of falling out with Fanny for catching birds. The man who could talk about any subject. The man who always championed the underdog and didn't suffer prejudice or injustice. The man who embraced diversity and equality. The man who was never greedy or envious. The man who could be kind and gentle but stubborn and cantankerous too. The man who gave the benefit of the doubt to people even when it was undeserved.

This was the man that we and those close to him knew. His absence breaks our hearts. We weren't ready to let him go. But we are so glad that he was ours. We are so thankful for the things he taught us and his acceptance of us just the way we are. And we are so very proud of the man he was. All the things that made him who he was meant that there was no one else like him.

He never wanted a fuss and preferred standing beyond the reach of the spotlight. So to respect that, there won't be a wake. But if you were among the ones who loved having a chat with him, drop by the house sometime and remember him over a mug up. As he said at the end of every visit, "thanks for dropping by now and come back anytime."

Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Immaculate Conception RC Church, Cape Broyle on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 11:00 am. Immediately following the service, everyone is invited to the Cape Broyle Hall for a reception and a time of fellowship.

If you would like to honour him in some way, you can donate to a cause he would have approved of, including the SPCA https://spcastjohns.org/donate/, Nature NL https://naturenl.ca/donate-2/, the Royal Canadian Legion https://www.legion.ca/donations, or the RNC Association https://www.rnca.ca/contact-us/.