Peter C O'Brien

BLUE HILL – Peter Campbell O'Brien, 78, passed away November 26, 2024, at his home.
Born November 9, 1946, to Philip and Elizabeth (Wardwell) O'Brien of Blue Hill, Peter graduated from George Stevens Academy in 1964 and joined the U.S. Air Force in 1966, serving in Okinawa, Japan, and in Taichung, Taiwan. Following the Air Force, he pursued a degree in aeronautical technology at Wentworth Institute in Boston.
After graduating in 1972, Peter returned to Blue Hill, where he became a fixture of the local community. He married Belinda Lang on May 26, 1973, and they spent the early years of their marriage living on Main Street, enjoying the proximity of close friends and town activities. Peter began what would be a long career with Union Trust Banking Company, serving as the first manager of the bank's Blue Hill branch, where he provided support to community members and local businesses, frequently solving problems and taking calls after hours when people needed help. He worked in Union Trust's Ellsworth office for several years, and ended his career working in federal government, spending two summers at Acadia National Park and then retiring from USDA Rural Development in 2018.
Peter's love of Blue Hill was evident through his many friendships around town and in his service to local organizations, including the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital finance committee, the finance committee for the Blue Hill Fire Department, and serving as a Water District Trustee for the Town of Blue Hill. Most visibly, Peter served as the Treasurer of the Hancock County Agricultural Society for more than 50 years and was integral to the daily work behind each year's Blue Hill Fair, from summer mowing to late nights doing paperwork. Many community contacts and true friendships came from his involvement, as well as a range of wild and truly unbelievable stories, as can only come out of contact with the carnival.
Peter was an unfailingly present husband to Belinda and father to Mary Katherine who was born in 1980. It is not an exaggeration to say that Peter logged thousands of miles to show his support to Mary, from high school sports to exploring the cities where she lived as an adult. In 1996, the family welcomed Nicolai Ellehuus, an AFS exchange student, to Blue Hill for a year, which established a connection that has endured across many years and many miles. Mary's husband Thomas (and their cats, who Pete quickly won over) rounded out the family that he enjoyed spending time with in recent years.
Peter will be missed immeasurably by his family and many friends and will be remembered for his quick wit, his dry sense of humor, and his authenticity.
Peter is survived by his wife, Belinda; his daughter Mary Katherine O'Brien and her husband Thomas Bacheller of Minneapolis, MN and East Blue Hill; and his son Nicolai Ellehuus and his family of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is predeceased by his parents.
A private service and celebration of life will be held in Spring 2025.
For those who wish to do so, contributions in Peter's memory may be made to the Blue Hill Fire Company (P.O. Box 1167, Blue Hill ME 04614-1167) or to Friends of Acadia, Website Here to support a place that was very special to Peter.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.