{"id":888,"date":"2023-07-14T21:09:42","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T21:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worcester.edu\/magazine\/?p=888"},"modified":"2023-07-15T01:56:11","modified_gmt":"2023-07-15T01:56:11","slug":"university-pays-tribute-to-robert-k-obrien-58","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worcester.edu\/magazine\/2023\/07\/14\/university-pays-tribute-to-robert-k-obrien-58\/","title":{"rendered":"University Pays Tribute to Robert K. O\u2019Brien \u201958"},"content":{"rendered":"

The beloved alumnus, benefactor, and friend is remembered for his leadership, caring, and generosity.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/h4>\n

The university\u2019s first major benefactor, Robert K. O\u2019Brien \u201958 launched the Next Big Idea, an entrepreneurship competition meant to foster the next generation of business leaders, in 2013. That year, at the very last minute, a sophomore named Derek Canton entered the competition, skeptical that he even had a shot.\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton went on to win the Next Big Idea, much to his own surprise. An even bigger surprise came when he got a call afterward from O\u2019Brien himself, a business leader and founder of a global company, Health Reinsurance Management Partnership, which <\/span>along with some 10 other associated companies that O\u2019Brien created, employed more than 300 people. O\u2019Brien had a passion for entrepreneurship, and an even greater passion for supporting talented young people at Worcester State. When he saw potential in someone, he would reach out personally, and over decades he forged many mentoring friendships with Worcester State students.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBob personally called to congratulate me and tell me he wanted to invest in the business and take me under his wing,\u201d said Canton \u201915, who today is the founder and CEO of Paerpay and one of <\/span>Forbes<\/span><\/i>\u2019 2023 30 Under 30 superstars. <\/span>\u201cI remember literally jumping up and down. Bob was one of the very first people to believe in me. <\/span>The amount of time and effort he invested in me was priceless. <\/span>He single-handedly, fundamentally changed my life. That\u2019s where my passion for entrepreneurship blossomed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A beloved Worcester State University alumnus and benefactor who touched the lives of many, O\u2019Brien passed away on June 2, 2023, at the age of 88. He and his wife, the late Barbara (Hickey) O\u2019Brien \u201957, were among the university\u2019s first major donors, giving nearly $1 million over Bob\u2019s lifetime, even as he committed countless hours of service to the university on various boards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBob has had an immeasurable impact on Worcester State University,\u201d said President Barry M. Maloney. \u201cHe was a cornerstone member of our alumni association, helping us build a culture of philanthropy. More than 100 students have benefitted from his and his late wife Barbara\u2019s scholarships, and several students have started new, successful companies after receiving financial backing via the Robert K. O\u2019Brien Next Big Idea contest. We are truly grateful to have had his engagement and support, and he will be missed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien was born during the Great Depression and grew up in a \u201ccold-water apartment\u201d in Worcester\u2014so named because it offered no hot water. His parents worked hard to provide necessities for the family and passed on their industriousness to their children. In college, he worked two jobs while also taking a full course load. He cooked breakfast at a local diner five mornings a week and drove a taxi every other night, often doing his homework under the dome light of his cab.<\/span><\/p>\n

Retired Worcester State professor Maureen Stefanini <\/span>\u201958, MEd \u201961, EdD went to college with O\u2019Brien. \u201c<\/span>He worked hard. In the daytime he was delivering for Cushman Bakery. At night he worked for a taxi cab company. He had two jobs and still did well in school. He still managed to get his work done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After graduating from Worcester State and establishing himself as an entrepreneur, Bob and Barbara wanted to help hardworking students at their alma mater. In 1997, they established four scholarships in honor of their parents. It was the start of a lifetime of support.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was family oriented,\u201d said Stefanini. \u201cThey were a good team. They did so much for the college.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Robert and Barbara O’Brien<\/p><\/div>\n

Over the years, they established several other scholarships. After Barbara passed away in 2015, Bob created a new endowment for the Worcester State\u2019s Department of Education, honoring her 34 years as a special education teacher in Worcester Public Schools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vice President of University Advancement Thomas McNamara \u201994 knew O\u2019Brien for 26 years and considered him a mentor. \u201cHe had a great sense of humor,\u201d McNamara said. \u201cHe often said he\u2019s failed many, many times\u2014too many to count. But he kept going.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When McNamara\u2019s father passed away, O\u2019Brien made a gift to honor him <\/span>in support of a scholarship McNamara created in his parents\u2019 name.<\/span> \u201cAll my memories come back to him caring about family\u2014<\/span>my<\/span><\/i> family, too\u2014and doing something for someone else,\u201d McNamara said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The generosity of the O\u2019Briens reverberated for years. They were the first to establish class year scholarships, which planted the seed for other alumni to do the same. Some of the recipients of one of the O\u2019Briens\u2019 scholarships have, in turn, established their own scholarships.<\/span><\/p>\n

One such person is Nick Monfreda \u201900, who received one of O\u2019Brien\u2019s scholarships in 1997. <\/span>\u201cIt was a true honor and a blessing to have had the opportunity to become acquainted with Bob as both a friend and a mentor over the course of the past 25 years,\u201d Monfreda said. \u201c<\/span>I was among the first students at Worcester State to receive invaluable financial support from two of the university\u2019s most charitable and compassionate alumni. It is a profoundly selfless act to pay forward one\u2019s own good fortune in order to assist those in need, and Bob\u2019s unwavering dedication to this principle has inspired me to carry on his legacy by endowing a scholarship with the same objective that he and Barbara initiated a quarter-century ago. The aim of this scholarship is to provide aid to students who require some assistance while they work towards completing their studies. Bob will be greatly missed by the Worcester State community, and his legacy will continue to live on.”<\/span><\/p>\n

In a 2022 interview with the university, O\u2019Brien said it was the students that inspired him to give and support initiatives like the Next Big Idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWorcester State turns out very smart people,\u201d O\u2019Brien said in the interview. \u201cThey have as much natural intelligence as any student that goes to Yale Harvard or Brown\u2026. There is a lot of brilliance in the student population\u2014they need to know they have it, and they don\u2019t always know. We need to encourage them to understand that they have all the essentials, and it\u2019s okay to ask for help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien\u2019s generous leadership style also had an impact on those who knew him. \u201cBob was really good at encouraging but also correcting and giving feedback in a constructive way,\u201d Canton said. \u201cThat inspired me in the way that I deal with my employees.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Robert O’Brien (center, red tie) with President Barry Maloney and winners of The Next Big Idea.<\/p><\/div>\n

The two kept in touch over the past ten years. O\u2019Brien made a point of calling Canton after the <\/span>Forbes<\/span><\/i> announcement to tell him how proud he was. \u201cWhenever I think of Bob it brings so much joy to my heart,\u201d Canton said. \u201cHe does these incredible things, but he\u2019s not boastful about it. If I live half the life he lived, that would be incredible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another individual whose life was touched by O\u2019Brien\u2019s generosity was Tim Blood \u201918, MS \u201919, who received an O\u2019Brien scholarship while he was a business major.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe scholarship was about industriousness,\u201d Blood remembers. \u201cI had multiple jobs and worked within my community, and it really spoke to me. I got to read the stories of Bob and his family and even got to meet them in person at an alumni donor event. It was an absolute honor to meet Bob and his two sons and give a presentation in front of all the alumni donors about the scholarship and its impact.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two kept in touch as Blood went on to work in accounting at TJX headquarters. In March of 2023, O\u2019Brien established the <\/span>Timothy and Rachel Blood Scholarship for Tim and his wife, who graduated from Worcester State in 2018<\/span>. With O\u2019Brien\u2019s passing, Blood and his wife are hoping to rename the scholarship in his honor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBob illustrated the importance of good works in donation and putting your time and effort into other people,\u201d Blood said. \u201cHe showed me the humility and generosity that a person can have, and he demonstrated that. He put his money where his mouth was, and that is really special.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien was predeceased by his wife of 57 years, Barbara Hickey O\u2019Brien; son Kevin R. O\u2019Brien; and parents Arlene M. Lanois O\u2019Brien Knight and Robert Ivor O\u2019Brien. He is survived by his son, Brendan R. O\u2019Brien, daughter-in-law Julie Grasso, and grandchildren Samuel and Gianna; his lady friend, Donna M. Cohen; sister Janet A. Martin and her four children; and trusted friend and colleague Laurie Weil.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worcester State will hold a celebration of O\u2019Brien later this year.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The beloved alumnus, benefactor, and friend is remembered for his leadership, caring, and generosity. The university\u2019s first major benefactor, Robert K. O\u2019Brien \u201958 launched the Next Big Idea, an entrepreneurship competition meant to foster the next generation of business leaders, in 2013. That year, at the very last minute, a sophomore named Derek Canton entered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7878,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[40],"class_list":["post-888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-worcester-state-magazine-fall-2023","tag-in-memoriam"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUniversity Pays Tribute to Robert K. 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