MONTGOMERY: Edward F. O’Brien, 66, passed away on Saturday, November 7, 2020 at Baystate Medical Center. He was born on September 9, 1954 and raised in the Hungry Hill section of Springfield, MA; his parents were William and Margaret O’Brien. Ed attended local schools and graduated from Springfield Technical High School in 1973. He received a bachelor’s degree in general studies in 1977 and earned a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA in 1999. He served as a police officer in the Westfield (MA) Police Department for many years before retiring in 2009. Ed was a 26-year resident of Montgomery, MA, and he loved to spend time in the woods watching the wildlife there. The deer and turkeys he fed each winter trusted him enough to walk right up to him.
He leaves behind his partner, Susan Doran, who shared his life in Montgomery and built a home with him there. He also leaves his sister Carol O’Brien and her partner John Zawacki, who gave Ed beautiful red geraniums that he proudly hung from his porch each summer and that gave him much enjoyment. He also leaves his brother W. Michael O’Brien of Harwich, MA. Ed and Michael were saltwater fishing buddies on the Cape. Ed was predeceased by his parents, William and Margaret O’Brien, and by his brother James O’Brien, who died unexpectedly in August 2020. Ed and Jimmy were close friends, and Ed missed his brother deeply for the rest of his life.
Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at the Center Cemetery on the corner of Main Road and Russell Road, Montgomery, MA.
