Obituary: Dr. John 'Jack' O'Brien

Dr. John “Jack” O’Brien, 79, of Longboat Key and North Kingstown, R.I., died May 25.

Born July 14, 1933, in Cork, Ireland, he was raised and educated in Ireland and graduated from medical school at University College Cork. After graduation, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean to serve his internship at St. Vincent’s Hospital, in Worcester, Mass., where he met his wife of 52 years, Maureen.

The couple moved from Worcester to Rhode Island in 1960 for Dr. O’Brien’s three-year residency in radiology at Rhode Island Hospital, where he was on staff for his entire career.

From 1966 through 1968, he served in the U.S. Navy as lieutenant commander based out of Bethesda Naval Hospital. In 1968, the couple returned to Rhode Island.

Dr. O’Brien was a founding partner of what is now Rhode Island Medical Imaging, which has offices throughout the state. He continued to practice there until his retirement in June 1997. Dr. O’Brien was a member of the Rhode Island Medical Society and the Radiological Society of North America. In 1981, the American College of Radiology awarded him a fellowship.

In retirement, Dr. O’Brien pursued his passion for tennis. He competed in and won several championships at the Longboat Key Club and Resort and the Warwick Heights Tennis Club in Rhode Island. He also loved reading and spending time laughing and bantering with family and friends.

Dr. O’Brien is survived by his wife, Maureen; children John, Kevin, Diana and Michelle; two grandchildren; and many dear friends.

A Mass will take place at 10 a.m. Friday, May 31, at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Greenwich, R.I. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, cancer.org, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stjude.org.