Conan O'Brien suffers double tragedy as his mother and father die just days apart

Conan O'Brien's parents, Dr Thomas O'Brien and Ruth Reardon O'Brien, died three days apart this week. The couple were married for 66 years and shared six children

American TV host and comedian Conan O'Brien is facing a double heartache after his mother and father died just three days apart.

Dr Thomas O'Brien passed away aged 95 on December 9, while his wife Ruth Reardon O'Brien died at the age of 92 on December 12. The couple were married for 66 years and shared six children, including 61-year-old Conan, who credited his father with his love of stand-up comedy.

Conan spoke highly of his father in an obituary published in the Boston Globe. The "Saturday Night Live" alum said his dad was "often the funniest guy in the room" and according to the Boston Globe, Thomas also introduced his children to Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers' movies.

"Science has said there's no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong," Conan told the publication. "My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everything - absolutely everything." The obituary stated that Thomas was known for one of the first to research the dangers of antimicrobial resistance - the possibility of drug-resistant superbugs that would make deadly diseases harder to cure.

Talking about his dad, Conan recalled: "He was often the funniest guy in the room. And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself. The loudest I've ever heard anybody laugh was sitting next to him in a theater watching Peter Sellers in a 'Pink Panther' movie."

He continued: "For the rest of my time on earth I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad. I've never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father. If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, I'd think, 'Who the hell is this guy? He's the most interesting person I've ever met.'"

Conan's mother, Ruth, was an attorney who was the second woman to become a partner at Ropes & Gray, a law firm in Boston, Massachusetts. A funeral for both Ruth and Thomas will be held in Boston on Wednesday, December 18. Her obituary says: "O'Brien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis O'Brien, M.D., who passed away on December 9th, 2024.

"Loving mother of Neal O'Brien of Brookline, MA, Luke O'Brien and his wife Ilse (Martin) O'Brien of Holliston, MA, Conan O'Brien and his wife Liza Powel O'Brien of Los Angeles, CA, Kate O'Brien of Boston, MA, Jane O'Brien of San Anselmo, CA, and Justin O'Brien and his wife Joanna Shea O'Brien of Winchester, MA.

"Devoted grandmother to her nine grandchildren, Neve, Beckett, Paget, Eamonn, Declan, Grace, Irene, Finn, and Caitlin. She is also survived by fifteen nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her parents James Francis Reardon and Ruth (Powers) Reardon, as well as her brothers Edward Powers Reardon and James Gavin Reardon."

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