How Conan O'Brien is Riddled with Pain Over Deaths of His Parents Within Three Days of Each Other in Same Bedroom — But Cause of Passings Remains Mystery
The comedian spoke out about losing both of his parents within days for the first time.
Dec. 19 2024, Published 6:34 p.m. ET
Conan O'Brien has been riddled with pain after his parents both died within three days of each other in the same bedroom.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the comedian and television host shared a heartbreaking tribute to his "kindred spirit" parents after their shocking deaths.
The comedian's parents died within three days of each other.
As previously reported, the comedian's dad, Dr. Thomas F. O’Brien, passed away Dec. 9 at age 95 years old.
Just three days later, his mom, lawyer Ruth Reardon O’Brien, died at age 92 years old.
According to an obituary shared by a funeral home in Brookline, Massachusetts, O'Brien's mother passed away "peacefully".
The television host's father died after “his health had been failing".
The late night television host talked about his parents' 'kindred spirits.'
O'Brien spoke out about both of his parents for the first time since the news broke about their deaths to the Boston Globe.
He said: "I think what my mother and father saw in each other was that they were kindred spirits. They were incredibly hard-working and disciplined.
"My dad was the dreamer. My dad was the one who was saying, 'I'm off to Peru with a change of clothes in my briefcase to try and launch this website for a hospital there high in the mountains.'"
The television host continued: "My mom was the one who really saw to it when we were little kids that we were fed and our clothes were laid out, and that we got to our dental appointments and medical appointments. She's doing all this mom stuff, and when that was done, rushing into a phone booth and becoming Ruth O’Brien, second woman partner at Ropes & Gray."
The 61-year-old comedian pointed out specific traits that he adored about his parents and the legacies they are both leaving behind.
He explained: "If anyone was unhappy around my mom in a 50-mile radius, she thought it was incumbent on her to fix the problem. It did not make her life easy, but it was very much a part of her Catholic drive — that 'I have to be of service to people.' And good God, she was."
O’Brien's mother, Ruth, passed away 'peacefully.'
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As for his father, O'Brien said he "thought it was important to hear people’s stories."
He added: "He cared deeply about people who were very different from him, and from completely different backgrounds. That’s the real beauty of his legacy."
The couple was married for 66 years, shared six children, and were grandparents to nine grandchildren.
According to the obituary, Ruth was a law clerk to The Honorable Raymond Wilkins, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and a real estate attorney at a law firm.
Thomas was an associate professor at Brigham and Women’s and Harvard Medical School before retiring back in 2019 at 90 years old.
A funeral mass for both of Conan’s parents was held on December 18 in Boston.
