Thomas F. O'Brien

Thomas F. O’Brien
August 19, 1934 - July 12, 2021

Thomas F. O'Brien, 86, of Wallingford, died on July 12, 2021, at home after a brief illness.  Born in Philadelphia to Francis J. and Marie (Smith) O’Brien, he was raised in Drexel Hill.  Over 64 years of marriage, he and his late wife, Nancy (Brumfield), lived in Newark, DE; Media, Swarthmore, and Wallingford, PA; Sunningdale and Ascot, England; and his favorite of them all, Sledd Creek, KY.  Tom is preceded in death by his wife and his grandson, Joey Rickards.  He is survived by his daughters Kathleen (John) Jelliffe, Anne (Jeff) Rickards, Patti (Andy) Woods, Peggy (Michael) Breidenbaugh, and Liz (Ron Whaley); his sons Robert (Maureen) and Paul (Mary-Sue Tobin); and his brother, James F. (Barbara) O’Brien of Springfield, MO. He was also the father of a stillborn child.  His grandchildren are Katie Rickards Renish, Jeffrey Rickards, Emily Woods, Carolyn and David Jelliffe; and his great-grandchildren Arya, Jacie and Joelle Rickards.

A parishioner of Nativity BVM parish in Media for more than 40 years, Tom was always active in church affairs.  He was the founding chairman of the parish council at St. Pius X Church in Calvert City, KY, a member of a committee settling the effects of a shutdown of a parish school, a CCD teacher/chairman in three different parishes, and for more than 50 years, a lector in four parishes and a Newman Center.  

A son of Malvern Prep (1951), Tom was a Chemical Engineering graduate of Villanova University (1955), becoming an internationally renowned expert in chlorine technology and electrochemical processing.   He consulted or worked on the design of plants in more than 30 countries.  He has been published extensively in technical journals and encyclopediae. He was the principal author of the Handbook of Chlor-Alkali Technology, described as “the standard reference in the field.”  Tom was a frequent speaker on his favorite subjects from small local gatherings to international symposia. He held a number of patents in his field.

Notwithstanding his technical writings, he considered his most important articles to be those published in the Baker Street Journal, a publication dedicated to the study of the life and works of Sherlock Holmes.

Tom was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan and self-confessed dabbler in advanced baseball statistics.  He published an article in the Baseball Research Journal and taught a course at the University of Delaware Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.  He also spoke on the subject to the American Statistical Association and the Society for American Baseball Research. He professed no interest in minor sports, confining himself to baseball, rugby, and cricket.

Tom’s professional travels covered nearly 350 degrees of longitude across the Northern Hemisphere.  Of the many stories that sprang from his travels, he relished most those that involved China, Saudi Arabia, and what was East Germany. Nancy joined him on some of his trips, and they became enthusiastic leisure-time travelers.  During their retirement, vacation trips included swathes of Canada, the USA, and much of western Europe.

Tom delighted in his life and his family, preferring his time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He had a brilliant mind, a wonderful sense of humor, and loved telling stories of his travels, favorite restaurants, and cities. He stayed true to his love of all things Irish by returning many times to his favorite village of Leenane, County Galway.  Even in the extreme west of Ireland, Tom was disturbed by the trend towards serving Guinness at lower temperatures.

The family would like to thank the extraordinary staff at Plush Mills in Wallingford and the angels of Crozer Keystone Hospice for their kindness and support.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, July 30th at Nativity B.V.M Catholic Church, 30 E. Franklin St., Media, PA. Friends and family may call from 10-11 am. Mass will follow at 11 am. Burial will be private.

If you wish to livestream Mr. O'Brien's funeral mass, please click the following link:  https://youtu.be/AEydBtaasxM

Those who wish to make memorial donations are asked to favor Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Media, PA (www.nativity-bvm.org).

Arrangements: Rigby Harting & Hagan Funeral Home
15 E. Fourth Street, Media, PA 19063
www.haganfuneralhome.com