Kevin Michael O'Brien died peacefully after a short, intense fight with cancer in Bellingham, Washington at the Whatcom Hospice House. He was born August 29, 1957 in Winnetka, Illinois as the youngest of five siblings. 

His love of nature  started young. playing outside, going to Lake Michigan, camping in Wisconsin and spending a lot of time in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. His love of animals also started young and continued throughout this life; growing up with a series of dogs named George, raising a dog named Sky with his son, sharing his home with various cats, and finally connecting with (and playing harmonica for) a bearded dragon named Nubbly. He always loved mechanical things. He began a life-long fascination with clocks and watches from and early age. 

He was a car lover who collected and repaired cars since the age of 14. Driving fast also was a joy for him. He was so pleased with his most recent purchase of a 1967 Chevy truck he was lovingly working on at the time of his death. 

His love of the Pacific Northwest started at the age of 14, when he drove with his brother, sister and her family to Bainbridge Island. He ended up attending a year of high school before returning to Illinois. 

In 1997, he moved to San Juan Island, a place he grew to love. Despite moving back to Illinois and Wisconsin several times, he always returned  the the island, where he felt most at home. While living on the island, he had a wide variety of jobs, from working at the Little Store, to fixing things, and anything in between. Kevin was a gifted mechanic who could repair most anything from bikes, to cars, to scooters, using creativity in the process. 

His quick mind, sense of humor, ability to mimic, and his talent as a ventriloquist was appreciated by his family and friends. He had a gift for telling stories that showed his ability to find joy and humor in things. He kept his sense of humor to the end. He found love later in life, and married for the first time a year and a half ago. Through the experiences in his life, he developed a strong connection to the spirit of the universe. He was a gentle soul with a good heart. He will be deeply missed. 

Kevin was preceded in death by his parents. Mary Frances Aspinwall and Riley Pratt O'Brien, and two of his older sisters, Molly O'Brien Killoran and Katter (Kathleen) O'Brien Ryan. He leaves behind two siblings, Peggy O'Brien Strickland and Riley O'Brien, his son, Timothy Michael O'Brien, his wife, Karen Dolan O'Brien, their five grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews across the U.S. 

There will be a funeral Mass at St. Francis Catholic Church on December 13 at 11 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Whatcom Hospice House.