L. Douglas O'Brien

1939 - 2020

L. Douglas O'Brien passed away at his home in Chestertown, NY on July 10, 2020 after a long history of heart problems. Born on March 27, 1939, he was the son of the late Leonard and Melda O'Brien of Floral Park, NY. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 40 years, Ellen Mary O'Brien, his dear friend and former spouse, Mary Jo O'Brien, his five children - Karin D. (Mrs. John Holmes) O'Brien, Kenneth D. (Cynthia) O'Brien, Kristine D. (Mrs. Stephen) Murray, Kimberly D. O'Brien, Kevin D. (Pamela) O'Brien, eleven wonderful grandchildren and his companion, Finnegan. He was predeceased by a brother, Kenneth G. O'Brien. Doug served with the US Army in Germany at the beginning of the Berlin Wall crisis.

Retired to Chestertown, he was the owner/operator of Tri Lakes Storage. Doug was a board member of the Loon Lake Part District Association and the Warren County Water Quality Committee, while also active in the Tri Lakes Business Alliance, Chestertown Rotary, Adirondack Lakes Alliance and the North Warren Chamber of Commerce. He enjoyed being an ordained minister, serving as an expert witness in bank fraud cases, and a mystery shopper for Service with Style.

Doug spent the majority of his professional career in commercial banking where he was president, CEO, and director of Bank of Ireland First Holdings, Bank of Ireland's multi-state operations in the United States. He also held a number of senior positions with London based National Westminster Bank`s US subsidiary in NYC, most notably as Senior Executive Vice President and director of NatWest's holding company responsible for multi-state branches, consumer loans, mortgages, marketing and advertising, small-mid sized business lending and trust and investments. Previously, he was President, CEO, and director of NatWest, NJ, and before that he was with Bankers Trust Company (NYC) as president of one of their subsidiaries.

Prior to retiring, he was president and CEO of The Grappone Companies, a retailer of twelve car, truck and heavy equipment franchises and New Hampshire's then largest privately-owned company. Based in Concord, the company has been a family-owned business for nearly 100 years.

He had a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University, graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania, studied for his MBA at NYU's Graduate School of Business, and completed an executive program at MIT.

Always active in civic and community groups, Doug had been chairman of the New Hampshire Bankers Association and vice chairman of the Business and Industry Association of NH. He was a director of TD Bank NH and New Hampshire Public Television, a trustee of Southern New Hampshire University, the New Hampshire Community Technical College Foundation, and a member of the State of NH Executive Branch Ethics Committee.

He was a past director of the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra where he also volunteered as the CEO for a period, Federated Brands and Advertex Communications- earlier divisions of Macys; Giving New Hampshire; Plymouth State University President's Council; Junior Achievement's Advisory Council and Chairman of the Commission on Charitable Giving and Volunteerism in New Hampshire.

He also previously served as a director of The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) at UN Headquarters, the National Conference of Christians and Jews; the Greater New York Council-Boy Scouts of America; the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce; the New England Bankers Institute; the New Hampshire Business Roundtable; as a trustee of Steven's Institute of Technology; chairman of the Operating Committee to Celebrate New Hampshire Culture and Education on the National Mall in DC; the Currier Museum; as an incorporator of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and Optima Health, Inc.; chairman of the Greater Jamaica Development Corp. and the Workers Compensation Committee of the NHADA. He was a founder of the New Hampshire Community Development Corp. and helped to found NYCE (New York Cash Exchange - now Cirrus the ATM network) as well as a founding partner in NH. Custom Brewers, Inc., Tri Town Ice Arenas, Inc. and Stagecoach Farms, Inc., a 28 unit housing development. He was listed in Who's Who in America and was the recipient of many awards of honor and was most proud of being named New Hampshire's Citizen of the Year.

While enjoying the above, Doug's greatest pleasure came from being with his family. Retirement was his best time of life, and he loved golf, swimming and boating in Loon Lake, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, the theater, traveling and friends. He will be missed dearly and remembered for the positive impact that he had on so many.

Services will be private for family members only, but should anyone wish to make a donation in Doug's memory to The Helpers Fund, PO Box 691, Chestertown, New York 12817 or helpersfund.org.

Arrangements are entrusted to Barton-McDermott Funeral Home, Inc. 9 Pine St. Chestertown, NY 12817.