Conan O'Brien pays tribute to his parents who died three days apart: 'They were kindred spirits'

Conan O'Brien has shared a heartfelt joint tribute to his parents, who he lost days apart.

Last week it was confirmed the comedian's father Thomas O'Brien, 95, and mother Ruth Reardon O'Brien, 92, had died within three days of each other.

Speaking to the Boston Globe, O'Brien remembered his parents as "kindred spirits".

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Conan O'Brien has paid tribute to his late parents. (NBC)

"My parents complemented each other very well," he told the outlet.

The American talk show host is one of five children to his late parents. 

O'Brien said his father was "the dreamer" of the two while his mum was "the realist".

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His dad was a physician and epidemiologist. He was previously a former associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

O'Brien recalled his dad travelling overseas as part of his medical outreach program, even taking him when he was younger to South America.

"My dad was the one who was saying, 'I'm off to Peru with a change of clothes in my briefcase to try and launch this website for a hospital there high in the mountains'."

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O'Brien lost both his parents Thomas O'Brien and Ruth O'Brien within three days of each other. (YouTube/@ iRelaunch - Your Return to Work Experts)

While his dad was away, his mum "was the one who really saw to it when we were little kids that we were fed and our clothes were laid out, and that we got to our dental appointments and medical appointments."

"I think what my mother and father saw in each other was that they were kindred spirits," he continued.

"They were incredibly hard-working and disciplined."

O'Brien described his mum, who was a former law clerk for the state Supreme Court and worked as a real estate attorney, as "heroic".

The star said she "had a bottomless generosity and loved feeding people".

He also noted it was important to her that they were raised "lace curtain Irish". Both his parents came from Irish Catholic households.

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'I think what my mother and father saw in each other was that they were kindred spirits'. (Getty via CNN Newsource)

Speaking of his dad, O'Brien said he brought "such joy in other people".

"He cared deeply about people who were very different from him, and from completely different backgrounds. That's the real beauty of his legacy."

O'Brien's parents died three days apart according to funeral notices shared from the Bell O'Dea Funeral Home in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Thomas O'Brien's funeral notice was shared on December 9. His cause of death was not reported, but the notice said he died "peacefully".

Three days later, Ruth O'Brien's death was announced on December 12.

The comedian often used his parents as the inspiration behind many of his jokes.

Including O'Brien, Thomas and Ruth has six children in total. The star has three brothers and two sisters.

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