David Lee O’Brien, 1944-2026

Dave O’Brien rarely said goodbye.

He was a word guy, an avid reader who turned his love of books into a long career as a high school English teacher. To him, goodbye seemed too final, too permanent. Dave preferred “Cheerio,” a term he borrowed from an older relative who’d learned it during a stay in Canada. 

Cheerio, in the O’Brien family lexicon, means something like “See you soon” or “Until next time.” It is a promise of future meetings and a defiance of separation.

Dave, who lived the majority of his life in Albion, PA, died of complications from bile duct cancer on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026 – one day after his 82nd birthday.

He didn’t say goodbye. You shouldn’t, either.

Dave, a lifelong Catholic who’d served as an altar boy in Pittsburgh, PA, departed for his eternal home with confidence that he would rejoin the loved ones who passed before him and reunite with those who remain when their days on earth end.

He will be remembered as a devoted husband to Marilyn J. O’Brien (Greer), 82, and a father of three who taught nearly two generations of students at Northwestern Senior High School in Albion, where he also served as a football coach from 1981 to 2008. He was a mentor and friend to many participants in the Alcoholics Anonymous program in Edinboro, PA, and a prolific letter-writer who stayed in touch with relatives, friends and former students around the world.

Dave was born in Pittsburgh on Aug. 29, 1944, into an Irish family that included his father, William O’Brien, a truck driver for the Iron City brewery, and his mother, Maureen O’Brien (O’Hara), a homemaker who later worked for a photography studio. Both preceded him in death.

Growing up, he was a bookish child who loved horses, dreamed of being a cowboy and explored Pittsburgh with his younger sister, Kathleen “Kitty” Copeland (O’Brien), now 78. He enjoyed swimming, playing basketball, constructing model airplanes and collecting comic books and baseball cards.

Witty and intelligent, he got in his share of mischief but was obedient and eager to please the adults around him, particularly his mother and grandmother, Kitty said recently.

“He was a straight-up nerd,” she said, laughing. He even carried pens in a pocket protector.

Kitty laughed harder recalling the time one of her friends developed a crush on Dave. The girl sent him a note, and Dave responded by correcting her grammar and spelling. 

After graduating from Pittsburgh’s Plum Senior High School in 1962, Dave enrolled at Gannon University in Erie, PA, and worked various jobs. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in the mid-1960s, serving as a military police officer and a riverman in the Vietnam conflict.

Soon after his return from combat, Dave met his future bride, who worked at a Pittsburgh bank. It was not a chance meeting. Dave’s mother, who’d talked with Marilyn and had match-making in mind, dragged him to the bank to meet the beautiful, intelligent young woman. Marilyn was interested, and one of Dave’s friends who also worked there helped him secure a date. Love bloomed, and the happy couple wed on Feb. 15, 1969.

By then, Dave was back at Gannon, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree (and, later in life, a master’s degree). He began teaching English at Northwestern in 1974, remaining there until his retirement in 2010.

Dave was a popular teacher who formed connections with students through his sense of humor, love of literature, Vietnam war stories and Irish heritage. St. Patrick’s Day was an annual highlight; he’d decorate his classroom, celebrate and play music by the Clancy Brothers and other Irish musicians. As a football coach – first as an assistant and head coach to the 7th and 8th grade teams and then as an assistant coach with the varsity team – he had leverage with many of his male students: Do well in class, or don’t play at all.

He was honored by the school for his attendance record after not missing a day of work for roughly 20 years. He received a Golden Apple award as an outstanding teacher for his work in 1997-98.

His proudest moments as an educator came not from his own accomplishments but from the achievements of his students. He maintained contact with many pupils after their graduation and boasted of their successes. When former students suffered setbacks – facing, for example, addiction or incarceration – Dave did not turn away; he provided support and friendship.

He enjoyed spending time with his colleagues and counted them among his closest pals. Some, including Skip Buttacio and Suzanne Byers, were by his side in his final days. He was similarly tight with the staff of the Albion Public Library, who kept a list of his favorite authors – he loved crime fiction by authors Michael Connelly and Lee Child, among others – and made sure to obtain their books for him.

People were drawn to Dave, in part, by his common-sense optimism. Two of his favorite aphorisms were “Play the cards you’re dealt” and “Life is good.” Those philosophies helped him endure life’s toughest battles and encourage those around him. 

“Even when things were bad, he could make light of it,” said his son, William “Bill” O’Brien. “That was his strength.”

Dave fell into alcoholism after his time in combat but remained sober for 37 years with the help of AA meetings, which he attended religiously. Marilyn joined him.

Dave survived previous battles with skin, throat and neck cancer. The disease and its recurrences were a frequent cause for concern. He endured due to medical intervention, luck and Marilyn’s devoted, loving care. 

He repaid that care after Marilyn was diagnosed with dementia in 2020. As her condition worsened, Dave took on more responsibility for her well-being. For years, he tended to her needs by himself and with the assistance of their children. 

“I know why God kept me around,” he told his daughter, Erin Raymond. “It was to take care of your mother.”

He and Marilyn enjoyed a long life together: boating, golfing, traveling and dining out with friends. They were separated during his final weeks, and her memory is dim, but their eyes were full of love as they held hands during their last earthly visit with each other.

Dave is survived by Marilyn; daughter Lee Spencer and her husband, Robert Clark, of North Bloomfield, OH; daughter Erin and her husband, Kenneth Raymond, of Euclid, OH; son Bill and his wife, Lena O’Brien, of Erie; and sister Kitty, of Penn Hills, PA.

He has eight grandchildren – Tyler Spencer, Rose Tomsich, Melanie Spencer, Sarah Arch, JoAnna Garcia, Michelle Arch, Michael Arch and Joseph Clark – and two great-grandchildren: Landyn Slusher and Kaiden Rable.

The family asks that you remember Dave not with sadness but with hope. 

Do not say goodbye to him. 

Say “Cheerio” instead.

Memorials may be made in honor of Dave to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, 1645 West 8^th Street, Erie, PA  16505.

Memorial calling hours will be held at the Mattera Funeral Home, 188 East State Street, Albion, on Friday, September 4, 2026 from 5pm to 7pm. 

To light a memory candle or leave a condolence, please visit www.matterafuneralhome.com