Timothy David O'Brien

Timothy will be remembered as a kind, loving and dependable family member and friend, who had a wicked sense of humour and a knack for telling memorable stories. He was a man of diligence and integrity, who naturally excelled in leadership roles, which he demonstrated throughout his lengthy career with council, as well as his involvement in various organisations over the years. 

When the working day was done, however, Tim loved nothing more than to kick back and relax with a cold beer, whether it was in the company of good friends, family or in quiet solitude. He developed his particular music taste in the 1970s, and never much expanded upon it over the years. Put on some Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin or Fleetwood Mac, and Tim was a happy man. He played a mean game of pool and surprised many an opponent over the years, doing more with one arm than most could do with two.

Born on 15 January, 1955, the fourth child of Nance and Noel “Tex” O’Brien, Tim spent his early years in Brisbane in a small house in Dorrington. Family legend has it that a 3-year-old Tim got lost one afternoon when he wandered off from the house. When the neighbours found him, it took them some time to locate his parents, as Tim insisted his name was “Jimmy Brian”.

Much of his childhood and formative years were spent further south on the Gold Coast, where Nance and Tex settled in Labrador after Tex took a plumbing job in Miami. With older brother Peter leaving home when Tim was 8, and his sister Roslyn not long after, Tim spent a lot of time with brothers Brendan and Mark growing up.

Mark remembers many epic battles between his two older brothers, particularly on Saturday mornings when Nance went to work. “Brendan knew exactly how to rile Timothy up,” recalls Mark, “and he could tell when he’d gone too far by the bulging veins that would appear on Timothy’s temples.” On one such occasion, Brendan was escaping down the stairs at the side of the house. “Tim waited for him on the veranda,” recalls Mark, who watched on from a safe distance. “When he ran around to the front of the house, Timothy leapt right off the railing and landed on Brendan’s back, like a wrestler jumping from the top rope.”

Tim left Aquinos (Ac-quy-nos) Christian Brothers College at 16 and joined the Air Force in Melbourne. He was well regarded amongst his fellow cadets, known as the Frogs, and made many lifelong friends. However, an injury during an AFL match in Melbourne prompted his return to Queensland by the end of the year. 

He went back to complete high school at Southport State High, where he became Vice Captain in Year 12. His long-time friend Bill recalls a particularly memorable night at Bright Ave when Tex and Nance were in NZ on vacation. Tim had decided to hold a huge party that got out of control. The next morning, Bill and Tim were cleaning up before his parents arrived home, when they came across a bottle of champagne that was left over, and thought it only right to polish it off. Unfortunately, it was a school day, and in particular the day Tim was being honored for being head of the student council at a massive school assembly, complete with coverage by the local radio station. The boys were too drunk to drive, so they took a cab to school, where they were thankfully intercepted by their football coach Mr Hynes. He caught them weaving their way across the quad, and managed to stop them and turn them back to Bright Ave before they could make a show of themselves in front of the whole school. The ceremony was held the next day, and went off without a hitch. 

Not long after graduation, he took a job as a health surveyor at the former Albert Shire Council, kicking off a lifelong career in public service that would take him all across Queensland.

Tim was just 19 years old when a motorcycle accident saw him lose his arm and almost a leg. 

During his 18 months in hospital, Tim was often visited by his football mates, who’d secretly wheel him onto the balcony of the Southport hospital for… a few green cigarettes. While there, Tim also met a soon-to-be lifelong friend in the halls, Tony Rose. As Tony tells it, it was late 1975, and he was on two crutches when Tim approached him on one, asking if he smoked. Tony confirmed that he did, and asked Tim if he did as well. “Yeah”, Tim replied, “but I can’t roll.” 

He under went around 70 surgeries during his recovery, and yet never once let his abilities limit or define him. Those who knew him will attest to the ease with which he seemed to manage everyday life. It certainly did not keep him from finding love - in fact the opposite - as he was introduced to a young nurse named Lousie Farrell by Tony and Christine Bell while in rehab. The pair were married by December ‘77 in Canberra and settled on the Gold Coast, where Tim resumed his role at Albert Shire Council.

Anybody who knew Tim knows he had a healthy passion for poker. His good pal Anthony Scott remembered a time when the cops pulled him over driving home from Scottie’s place in Southport very late after a big card game. When Tim refused to put both hands on the roof of the car, they began giving him a hard time and things were getting hairy, until he revealed that he actually… really, couldn’t put both hands on the roof of the car. Properly chastened, despite the blood alcohol reading, the cops let him go.  

Tim and Louise tried for many years to conceive a child, and had almost thrown in the towel when their unicorn baby Simon finally arrived in 1981. A year later, the young family relocated to Atherton, where Tim commenced a management position in health services at Atherton Shire Council. 

After almost four years in Atherton, Tim, Louise and little Simon returned to the Sunshine Coast where they could be closer to family again, and Tim took a new role with Maroochy Shire Council. During his almost 20-year stint at the council chambers in Nambour, Tim was well-respected as the manager of many different departments, including Health and Local Laws, Health and Plumbing, Council Caravan Parks, Lifeguard service and Building Maintenance. He was remembered as the type of boss who would happily sit at the tip hearing directly from his staff, as comfortable as he was in an office. His talents saw him rise to the level of President of the QLD health inspectors association, as well as being awarded a fellow of the Royal Institute of Public Health.

Not long before the Maroochy River broke its banks and flooded half the town in 1992, Tim, Louise and Simon moved into their new family home on Minti Street in Maroochydore. It was here that Timothy would guide his son and act as a close friend as he grew into a young man, completing his primary school years at Stella Maris and going on to graduate from St John's College in ‘98. 

As Simon grew into a teenager and life got fuller and busier, Tim always ensured that everyone felt welcome at Minti Street. No matter what, any friend of Simon’s always had a place to crash in their home. Simon’s cousin Erin remembers long nights in the backyard underneath the stars with a host of friends, with Tim always making sure everyone was having a good time. This was the case for extended family too, with various family members welcomed with open arms to live with him over the years.

They poured a lot of love into the home, completing numerous renovations and additions over the years, including adding two outdoor decks. Wherever he lived, Timothy loved to have a deck to relax on in the afternoons, and he was a natural green thumb. Regardless of the climate or the state he inherited it in, Tim would turn barren back yards into fertile wonderlands. He had an eye for plants and knew how to select the perfect native ones to turn each garden he cared for into the most lush, beautiful one you'd ever seen.

When it came time to move on, instead of selling the place, Timmy surprised everyone by swapping it for a house in Kenilworth. Waving goodbye to Maroochy Council, he explored a new life travelling, collecting crystals and planning to open a small shop with his partner Annie. He eventually headed north again, reconnecting with old friends in Atherton and getting back into council work at Tablelands Regional Council.

It wasn’t to last, however, and by 2010 he had relocated again to Warwick, moving into a 150-year-old homestead on a beautiful acreage property. He was never short of visitors, with friends and family often visiting to enjoy sunsets over the lake and long nights on the deck, smoking and drinking far too much and spinning yarns into the night. 

During this time, a woman named Judy began to visit to help with the cleaning and ironing. After over 18 months of subtle hints went unnoticed, Timmy eventually cottoned onto her interest in him, and a relationship blossomed. The pair went on to live together in Kenilworth and bought a home together in Wonglepong.

In his later years, Tim took on a new role, becoming a grandfather to Simon and Natasha’s children Sebastian and Penelope. Tim had a soft spot for little Penny, and he loved taking Seb out into the yard to play ‘farmers’, picking tomatoes and parsley from the garden. Judy always encouraged Tim to spend time with his grandchildren, for which Simon and Tash are very grateful.

Tim passed away on Monday the 25th of May at his home, with Simon and Judy by his side. Although his final moments came too quickly, Tim made it clear that he was at peace with his life and all those he had shared it with.