Richard J. O’Brien, 77, of Northampton, devoted son and uncle, passed peacefully Thursday, April 7, 2016, at the Palmer House, Palmer, with his niece Tara (his god-daughter) and close family and friends by his side.
Son of the late Cornelius and Kathryn (Croke) O’Brien, Richard graduated from Chicopee High School in 1955, then attended Williston Academy for a postgraduate year. He was proudly a College of the Holy Cross Crusader, class of 1960.
A natural educator, he taught social studies in the Chicopee school system upon his graduation. Both his identical twin, William, and Richard were very gifted athletes, as highlighted recently with their induction into the Chicopee High School Hall of Fame. No small feat, Richard was also the starting quarterback as an underclassman for the heyday of College of the Holy Cross Football until a game injury left him permanently on the sidelines.