John P. (Jack) O’Brien passed away peacefully at home Feb. 13, 2018, of natural causes. John was born Oct. 14, 1944, in Torrington, Conn., to Dorothy (Miller) and Philip J. O’Brien. He attended the Loomis Chaffee High School and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross. He was first in his class at University of Connecticut School of Business with a Master of Business Administration Degree in finance, winning the Wall Street Journal Award.

On June 29, 1968, he married Martha (Marty) McDonough of Bloomfield, Conn., with whom he had two sons, Tim and Brendan. John began his career at the Ensign-Bickford Company in Simsbury, Conn., where he rose to vice president of research and engineering at a very young age. He always loved a challenge and took great pride in the many product lines he developed. During his time there, John built a PETN plant in Graham, Ky.; was the primary technical person for licensing of shock tube technology from Sweden; and assisted the company to a position of industry leader for initiation systems.

With unwavering support from Marty, John left Ensign-Bickford in 1988 to branch out on his own. John created multiple companies, each targeting a different sector of initiation systems. He formed Shock Tube Systems with Steve Bartholomew, which was very successful making shock tube based products for the military. He also formed Detotec North America, and managed to penetrate the extremely demanding oil and gas industry.

John had a strong belief that he could achieve anything he set his mind to, and he has left a lasting legacy that bears this out. As the years passed, John became very focused on local politics, serving for many years on the Board of Finance for Stonington, and as the treasurer for the Stonington Democratic Town Committee. He was appointed by the governor of Connecticut as Harbormaster for the Pawcatuck River, where he and Marty lived. He was an avid rugby player helping to form the Hartford Wanderers, a tennis player and a skier.

Once he became a grandfather, he was a big fan of his five grandchildren’s teams. He loved sailing and boating his entire life, and was very proud of his powerboat the OBie. John loved spending time on Block Island, R.I., and would always enjoy his favorite mudslide at the Oar. John had friends all over the world, and he never met a stranger.
He is survived by his wife of almost 50 years Marty; his son Tim (Abby) and children Teagan, Cade, and Keira from Pawcatuck, Conn.; his son Brendan (Jennifer) and children Owen and Sean from Ledyard, Conn.; and his brother Joe (Eileen) and his children Robert and Melissa from West Hartford.

A wake will be held from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, at the Mystic Funeral Home located on Route 1 in Mystic. A mass of Christian burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018, at St. Mary’s Church 95 Main St. in Stonington Borough, followed by burial in Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic on Route 27.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in John’s honor to the St. Michael Capital Campaign, 60 Liberty Street, Pawcatuck, CT 06379.