The holiday season will likely be a difficult one for Conan O’Brien, as he grapples with the loss of both of his parents, Dr. Thomas O’Brien and Ruth Reardon O’Brien, who passed away within just three days of each other. His father, Thomas, a respected physician, passed away on December 9 at the age of 95, while his mother, Ruth, followed on December 12, dying peacefully at home at the age of 92.
Conan paid tribute to his father in an interview, recalling his dad’s boundless curiosity and humor. He described Thomas as a man constantly in motion, who loved everything and laughed loudly at movies, especially the Pink Panther films. Conan fondly remembered his father’s laugh as one that would shake his whole body, showing how much joy he found in life. He expressed that his father was the funniest person in any room, and he would always hear stories from others about Thomas’s unique qualities.
Following the news of the deaths, tributes from colleagues and fans poured in, offering their condolences to Conan and his family. The timing of the deaths, so close together, was heartbreaking but also resonated with a phenomenon known as the “widowhood effect,” where surviving spouses, especially those deeply connected, may experience an increased risk of mortality after their partner’s death. Experts suggest that intense grief, caregiving stress, and health impacts from the loss of a spouse can contribute to this phenomenon. In some cases, this bond can even lead to physical conditions like “broken heart syndrome,” which affects the heart after extreme emotional stress.
Though the exact cause of death for Conan’s parents hasn’t been disclosed, it was noted that Thomas had been in declining health recently. The family will honor the couple’s lives with a joint funeral in Boston on December 18. Ruth, a Yale Law School graduate, went on to become a real estate attorney, and Thomas spent decades as a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. Their legacy lives on in the work they did and the impact they had on those around them.