Obituary of Paul Raymond O'Brien
Passed away peacefully on Friday, June 27, 2025 at LHSC Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario at the age of 74.
Paul was predeceased by his parents Charles Raymond (Ray) and Ruth Bridget O’Brien (nee Manders).
Paul is survived by his siblings Kathryn Tamasi (Angelo), Karen (George Feleki), Michael (Tara) and Marie.
Uncle of Michael (Bonnie), Gregory (Kelly), Jessica, Fraser, Kate (Christian) and Meghan, and great uncle of Lily, Ruby, Autumn, Aoife, Kieran, Charlotte, Kendall and Rome.
Paul will be fondly remembered by the O’Brien and Manders families.
Paul was a man of kindness and generosity. He was a mentor and a friend to Brady for many years. Paul was proud of Brady’s successes and achievements. The O’Brien family is grateful to Brady for his support of Paul.
Paul spent much of his work life as a letter carrier in Kitchener and London.
Paul found enjoyment in spending time outdoors and exploring the world. He bicycled Canada from coast to coast and hiked throughout Canada, Alaska and Europe. He completed the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage seven times.
Paul’s family is grateful to Doctors Fortin, Hamilton, Ibrahim, Sanatani and Yaremko as well as their health care teams. Their Paul-Centered care and honouring of his wishes demonstrated their compassion and kindness during the past few years. They created miracles.
A private family service will be held at Donohue Funeral Home, London, to be followed by interment in Avondale Cemetery, Stratford.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to Esophageal Cancer Research at LHSC in care of London Health Sciences Foundation would be appreciated by the family. To donate CLICK HERE
Eulogy for Paul
Thank you for being here today to honour and celebrate Paul’s life.
Paul was not only a son, brother, uncle and great-uncle he was a friend, mentor, protector, and guide to many. Brady – you and Paul had an enduring bond. We are thankful for your support and friendship with Paul.
Paul may have had different ways of showing his love of family but he truly did value his family roots. He was a Manders and an O’Brien to the core. Whenever he would go to Allumette Island it was like he was going home. And his final request was to be buried with his great grandfather O’Brien in Stratford.
It was in Paul’s nature to be generous, friendly, thoughtful, dependable and determined. Over his life Paul demonstrated these qualities. Many times, he was called upon to help people. He never turned anyone down and he showed up no matter what he was asked to do.
He was very thoughtful and always thinking of others. During the past few years when Paul wasn’t going out much, he would spend time on his computer at a site called Encore Auctions. He would scroll through thousands of items. If he saw something that he thought someone could use or would like to have he would place a bid. We have all received items from this auction site particularly the great nieces and nephews. Just this past Christmas Paul surprised Lily, Ruby and Autumn with at least 10 hair styling tools from hair dryers to hair straighteners, to curling irons. He also gave them boxes of jewelry and nail care products. The nail polish and stick on nails came in handy for Lily’s prom.
Lily, Ruby and Autumn – Paul was honoured that you thought of him during your Relay for Life and Terry Fox Runs. Terry Fox was Paul’s hero.
Aoife, Kieran, Charlotte and Kendall were also included in the auction bonanza with toys, doll houses, and games galore. Aoife, Kieran and Charlotte – you brightened Paul’s day a few weeks ago with the videos of you telling knock, knock jokes. He was also happy to hear that you were playing hockey with the Sydney Crosby sticks.
Kendall – Paul was thrilled to hear you were saying “go Leafs go.” He thought you might be swayed to be a Habs fan and that would be okay too.
Rome – Paul was happy to meet you. You were the youngest to receive some Encore loot which consisted of always needed baby supplies. Paul also hoped that you would be a Leafs fan.
Brady was the beneficiary of many of Paul’s Encore deals. Brady has probably received, a life time supply of shoes, socks, underwear and jeans which may or may not fit. The deals were just too good to resist.
When Paul shifted to more indoor activities, we became recipients of Android boxes. The Android boxes opened up a new world for all of us. Paul had several TVs and monitors going at once and marvelled at being able to watch darts in England and the local news at the same time.
Paul was a creative person. This creativity took many forms including rug hooking, pottery, wood working, planning how to re-vamp his van into a camper van, and collecting. Some of Paul’s collectables included stones from his travels, church pews, walking sticks, art work, pictures and prints.
In addition, Paul had countless ideas related to being an entrepreneur. Many hours, days, and weeks were spent talking with his friend Dave about potential business opportunities. Paul and Dave were friends for more than 50 years.
Paul spent much of his working life as a letter carrier — a profession that suited him well. He walked the streets delivering more than just mail. He delivered reliability, familiarity, and connection to the people along his route. When he retired, he received many cards thanking him for being the best “postie” including one from a dog on his route saying he was sorry for biting Paul.
Paul wasn’t content to simply see the world — he walked it, biked it, climbed it. He biked across Canada — from ocean to ocean in two trips — propelled by his own determination and curiosity. He hiked Canada’s great trails – the Bruce trail, the West coast trail, the East coast trail, the Lake Superior trail, and the Chilkoot trail. These are feats in themselves but Paul did many of these hikes with his mother, aunts, nephews, cousins, and a sister. While hiking and biking, Paul found peace and purpose. The outdoors was his sanctuary.
And then there was the Camino. The Camino de Santiago also know as The Way of St. James has been a pilgrimage route since the 8th century. The pilgrimage starts at the France-Spain border and ends at Santiago de Compostela Spain. It is 770 kilometers in length and takes between 30-35 days to complete.
Paul walked and completed the Camino de Santiago seven times. Some of the pilgrimages he did on his own but for others he was with his mother, father, and aunts. For Paul, it became a kind of spiritual homecoming. He didn’t walk for recognition. He walked it to be present. To listen. To think. To feel alive.
Paul taught us that a meaningful life is built one step at a time. For Paul the steps. began when he was 6 or 7 when he had his nose broken playing baseball. As a result of this injury, he required several surgeries to repair the damage. This was the first of many injuries, accidents, surgeries and illnesses that Paul dealt with during his life leading to his 7-year cancer journey. With each step Paul showed his capacity for healing, endurance, pain tolerance, resiliency, and hope. His determination and faith carried him through these challenging times with grace. They prepared him for the last few years as he faced a second diagnoses of cancer head on. Paul worked with the doctors but did it his way. The doctors respected Paul’s choices and often told him he was a miracle. At the end Paul was concerned that he had let the doctors down.
As we say goodbye, imagine Paul still on the move – maybe hiking a new trail or coasting downhill on his bike. Free, as he always was.
A life walked with purpose.
A life pedaled with strength.
A life hiked with wonder.
A life lived every single day.
Buen Camino (“good path”), Paul.
