Patrick Michael O'Brien died on September 17, 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia at age 80 after a brief illness. Pat is survived by his sister Mary and nephew David, both of Montreal, nephew Michael, of British Columbia, niece Suzanne, of Alberta, and their children. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Rudolph and Gladys (née Walsh), and brother Paul.

Pat was born on December 20, 1941 in Rogersville, New Brunswick, where his father was stationmaster for Canadian National Railways. As a member of the "only English family" in a small Acadian village, Pat grew up fluent in English and French. His early education was enhanced by a nearby Trappist monastery, including music lessons from Brother André.

Pat attended Mount Allison University and Dalhousie University, studying music and attaining a Bachelor of Education degree. He taught French Immersion for many years in several Halifax schools. During a mid-career sabbatical, he earned a Master's degree in French literature from the University of Windsor. He suffered a brain aneurysm in the early 1990s, which kept him from teaching for an entire year while he recovered. He returned to teaching for one more year and then retired.

Pat was very musical, studying both piano and organ from childhood to university. Classical music was his favorite. Before his aneurysm curtailed his ability to play, a grand piano dominated his living room. He had an extensive knowledge of classical piano music and a large recorded collection of all kinds of classical music, along with an excellent stereo system. In his later years, he described his living arrangement as "a stereo with an apartment attached." Pat travelled extensively, attending concerts and recitals by many great classical pianists in cities such as London, Vienna, Montreal and Toronto. He was a regular at Halifax classical music events.

Although never married, Pat was no loner. He had many friends in the Halifax education and classical music communities. He delighted in helping university foreign students with their written English for their term papers and theses. His friends would stop by his apartment to listen to classical music or just to talk, and were always welcomed warmly.

Pat's sense of humour was keen: A student once asked him, "Mr. O'Brien, do you think I'll pass the exam tomorrow?" and he responded slyly, "Only if you eat it tonight." Not being a big fan of Mozart, Pat described him as "ahead of his time—elevators hadn't even been invented yet!"

Note: I wrote the above in the absence of an official obituary from Pat's family. I apologize in adavnce for any errors or omissions. - Steve J. Martin.