Daniel O'Brien

Daniel R. O'Brien, age 64, of Matteson, Illinois, passed away on May 2, 2025.

Beloved brother, friend, and father, Daniel R. O'Brien, decided to pull off his final and arguably most dramatic "Irish Goodbye" on Friday, May 2, 2025. He was 64 years young, or as he would have likely quipped, "just getting started."

Never one to miss out on a party, Daniel Robert O'Brien arrived on the South Side of Chicago, January 30, 1961, as the fourth child to Robert and Ellen O'Brien (nee O'Donnell). The only boy in a family with four daughters, he was ridiculously adored, and likely held the family superlative that no parent would ever admit to awarding ..."The Favorite".

Born into a green-blooded Irish family, Danny's childhood was surrounded by hardworking policemen and pranksters, who never needed an excuse to throw a basement party. His aunts and uncles never shied away from a wig or a costume, and each took their karaoke performances entirely too seriously. The family believed laughter was the best medicine, and that Sunday roasts were an ordained part of the Irish-Catholic faith. These would serve as core components of Dan's approach to life.

As a young boy, he was especially fond of the outdoors and relished in team sports. Fishing was undoubtedly his first love, and his favorite thing to do with his Dad. He loved to camp, bike the trails, and do anything water-related. He played ice hockey and baseball. He rooted for the Chicago Cubs and was a huge Chicago Blackhawks fan. Even into his old age, he still preferred to watch the Hawks on mute with the AM radio station playing, so he could get the chills when he heard the announcers scream: "HE SHOOTS & HE SCORES!!!"

Danny was an exceptionally gifted storyteller, thanks to being born into a long line of Irish orators. He began perfecting his craft by practicing on his parents, primarily as it related to his whereabouts on the weekends while attending Mt. Carmel High School. During this time, he took an interest in pretty girls, live music, and John Denver (which may or may not have been the result of some questionable Western-inspired photographs in the 70's).

He started his career at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange at the age of 19 and was employed there for a better part of his life. The Merc community added countless names to his long list of "good buddies o' mine," and dramatically increased the number of crazy stories he had. Thanks to his sharp memory, he could call on an endless supply of gut-busting tales, and you could never be sure if his embellished fishing stories .... or his golf abilities were true.

An adventurous spirit, Danny loved to travel. He mountain biked in Utah, golfed in Ireland, surfed in Hawaii, snowmobiled in Wisconsin, and went deep-sea fishing in Mexico. He loved his annual fishing trips to Lake Erie, Kentucky Lake, Sturgeon Bay, and later fishing in Florida with his Dad at his retirement community. But the biggest adventure he took on by far was that of a parent.

Dan welcomed his only child, Jenna Maureen O'Brien, in July of 1984. He leaned hard into his feminine side when she arrived, making sure she knew how to fish, tie a line, handle night crawlers, and play ball. She was a staple at the South Side Irish Parade, where, based on her looks, not many believed she was Irish - a joke Dan always enjoyed. Like any parent, he wanted Jenna to have the skills she would need to survive, and took his time to teach her to properly throw a horseshoe, how to unlock the front door with a credit card, and when to start and light a charcoal grill relative to the time you want to eat. He offered her a lot of advice throughout the years, some of her favorites are "always dress for the weather and not the occasion," and the very best curse word you could call someone is "jag off," because "nobody uses it anymore." Thanks to Dan, Jenna finds joy in the simple things in life ... like watching a Midwest rain storm from the garage, eating DiCola's Seafood in the parking lot, and the excitement that comes with setting up the Christmas tree. He was incredibly proud of all she had accomplished in life and would brag about her to anyone who had two ears and was alive.

He settled in Oak Forest for 30 years, in a small home with an expansive backyard. Danny and his best friend Perry held countless BBQs, holidays, family events, and impromptu ragers on Lavergne. He was well-liked by his neighbors and made a friend for life in Ed, with whom he loved to talk to and fix things with. Known for his helping hand and generosity, the community always appreciated his effort to share the talents of Bob Seger, Fleetwood Mac, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers with everyone between the hours of 11-1am. He crowned himself the "pool boy" and, with the driveway gate always open, welcomed a slew of folks on hot summer days. Once he knew how Facebook worked, you could easily check in at "Danny O's Poole and Grill."

A staple at the local pubs in the area, he flourished in community, continuing to add more pals to his ever growing list. It was thanks to one of these watering holes that received the son and best friend he always wanted: a husky mix named Jake. Not many people come home from the bar with a puppy, but that story fit Danny well. He and Jake did pretty much everything together, from 4:30 am wake-ups to mowing the grass - they were inseparable.

As life took its twists and turns, an early rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis forced Danny to pump the brakes on his adventures and start a shift to relish in the slow. He became more generous with his time and his talents, becoming everyone's head chef and chief handyman, especially for his sister Therese. He spent hours collecting new recipes online and perfecting family ones, and would offer a meal to anyone who entered his home. If you were sick, he would make you chicken soup, a nourishment many of us will miss. He also became the unofficial spokesperson and sales rep for Berkot's, and would call you at 8:00 am from the store to tell you what meat was on sale ...even if you did not live near a Berkot's.

Although he still loved to fish more than anything, he, Jenna, and Jake finally found their "thing," bonding deeply over gardening and birding in his big backyard. He loved visiting Busy Bee and Alsip Nursery for healthy starters, and truly believed you saved big money when you shopped at St. Menards. A master gardener, he meticulously landscaped his home, found joy in growing new vegetables and household kitchen staples, and always made sure Jake had cherry tomatoes to eat off the vine. He tended to multiple rose bushes, planted wild flowers for the butterflies, and sunflowers for his life partner Nancy, whom he met at Kohl's. He always kept the bird bath clean and remembered to feed the hummingbirds and yellow finches. Danny loved to give away garden produce to anyone he met, and felt a sense of pride knowing people were nourished from the fruits of his labor.

He left Oak Forest in 2024, and moved with Nancy to Matteson, Il. Over the last year, he made even more friends, walked Jake multiple times a day through the neighborhood, charmed his way into people's hearts with bags of tomatoes, and made it his public duty to clean the sewers and the community pool.

In true fashion, his exit was swift and without fanfare, proving his lifelong commitment to avoiding long goodbyes. While we are still working out who he slipped out the back with, we're sure he had a good reason (and probably a story ready).

He was preceded in death by his beloved parents Bob & Ellen and his brother, Martin James O'Brien. He is survived by his loving daughter, Jenna O'Brien, and her husband Jared Petsy; his partner, Nancy Gonzalez, and her daughter Sydney; his trusty sidekick Jake, his sisters Debbie O'Brien, Barbara O'Brien, Therese Mundo, and Luanne O'Brien; and by many adoring nieces and nephews, uncles, aunts, and dear dear friends.

A gathering to celebrate Danny's life, and perhaps joke a bit about how he decided on this disappearing act, will be held at 10:00am on Saturday May 10, 2025, at St. Alexander's Church, 7025 W 126th St in Palos Heights.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to help cover the cost of Danny's memorial and the continued care for his beloved dog, Jake: Donate here

Daniel's memory will be cherished by all who were lucky enough to know him. We'll miss his off-key singing, home-cooked meals, and the constant entertainment he provided. May his spirit be off enjoying a celestial happy hour, and his days filled with eternal fishing spots, and enough off the clock angels to regale his stories. His presence was a gift, his laughter unforgettable, and his kindness unwavering.

Sláinte, Dad. You always knew how to make an exit.