Thomas Peter O’Brien

November 17, 1937 - January 7, 2026
San Jose, California

Funeral Service: Friday, January 23, 2026, 10:30 AM at St Clare Chapel @ Santa Clara Mission Cemetery, Santa Clara, CA
Graveside service to follow
Interment: Santa Clara Mission Cemetery, Santa Clara, CA

Thomas Peter O'Brien of San Jose, California passed away on January 7, 2026 at the age of 88 at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose. Tom was born on November 17, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York to his parents, Thomas and Agnes (nee Gryszkiewicz).

Tom grew up in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. He attended Brooklyn Polytechnic High School and then earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from Brooklyn Polytechnic University (now part of NYU). Tom met Carol Zipp who resided in neighboring Queens, New York and they married in 1960. Soon after, they moved to the Bay Area of California to begin a new chapter of their life together where they raised three boys, Thomas John, Kenneth, and James.

Tom worked full-time as an engineer in Belmont while simultaneously earning a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Santa Clara University. The majority of Tom's professional career was spent working for ArgoSystems, a defense electronics company, that was eventually purchased by Boeing– where Tom ultimately retired from. In his later years of work and in retirement, Tom taught mathematics at local community colleges. He was well-traveled as his work took him all around the globe.

Tom was an avid reader and always enjoyed learning about history. Very accomplished but always humble, it was the time spent with his family that brought him his biggest smiles and happiness.

Tom is preceded in death by his parents, his son Thomas John, sister Dorothy, niece Donna, and daughter-in-law Rita.

Tom is survived by his loving wife of 65 years Carol, sons Kenneth and James, daughter-in-law Jeanette and grandchildren Julia, Owen, Kelan, Braeden, and Chiara, as well as many nieces and nephews.

The service will be held on Friday, January 23rd at 10:30 AM at the St. Clare Chapel located at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery (490 Lincoln St., Santa Clara, CA 95050). It is at this cemetery that he will be laid to rest.