We have some sad news to tell about one of the world’s favorite comics, Conan O’Brien.
Multiple sources have now confirmed that both of Conan’s parents passed away within the past week.
Longtime fans of Conan’s comedy know how often the former late-night host mentioned his Massachusetts-based Irish-Catholic family.
a disastrous week
Conan’s father, Dr. Thomas O’Brien, was the first to die. According to a report, he died on Monday at the age of 95. boston globe“He had been in failing health” for some time before his death.
Just three days after that tragic event, Conan’s mother, Ruth Reardon O’Brien, died at her home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
According to an obituary released by Bell-O’Dea Funeral Home, Ruth died “peacefully” just four days short of her 93rd birthday.
A graduate of Yale Law School, Ruth worked as a clerk in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and later was a real estate attorney at the law firm of Ropes & Gray in Boston.
The O’Briens were married for 66 years, and welcomed six children together.
Thomas was now director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and associate professor at Harvard.
His medical career spans 60 years – but for millions of fans, his greatest achievement may have been teaching his son Conan the divine art of making people laugh.
Conan’s fond memories of his father
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In an interview with The Boston Globe, Conan once recalled, “The loudest laugh I ever heard someone made was while sitting next to me in the theater watching Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther movie.” People,
,[My dad] He was often the funniest guy in the room. And when he laughed, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself.
Conan – who raised daughter Neve, 21, and son Beckett, 19, with wife Lisa – further recalled that his father was a man with boundless energy.
Conan said, “Science said there was no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that was wrong.”
“My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everything – absolutely everything.”
News of his parents’ deaths comes at a time of transition in Conan’s career.
After nearly 30 years as a host, he bid farewell to the late night world in 2021.
But thanks to his podcast and travel show, he is as popular as ever. And in 2025, O’Brien will host the Academy Awards for the first time.
In short, Conan remains one of the most popular comics in the world – and we’re sure he’d say much of this success is thanks to his loving and supportive parents.
Our thoughts are with the entire O’Brien family during this extremely difficult time.
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