Orford, NH- John A. O'Brien, 78, died peacefully on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, in Sharon, VT, while working in the woods.

John was born July 16, 1943, in Keene, NH, as the eldest son to Leon and Faith (Applin) O'Brien. He and his three siblings grew up on their family's small dairy farm. His passion for the outdoors and forestry began at an early age riding a horse-drawn scoot to a mill with his father at the reins. He enrolled in Keene High School's agriculture program and, following graduation in 1961, attended Thompson school at the University of New Hampshire. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Science and a master's degree in Forestry and Wildlife Management from UNH. In between degrees, John served in the US Army as a platoon leader and company commander with the combat engineers in the Vietnam War, where he received a number of decorations, including a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts for wounds received in action. Upon his return, John joined the NH Air National Guard as a commissioned officer, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal as commander of the 157th Civil Engineering Squadron of the Reserves until his retirement in 1991.

A loving and devoted family man, he was married to Deborah Tullar in 1979 in Orford, NH, where they made their home and raised three children overlooking the Connecticut River and Vermont mountains. He began his lifelong forestry career at Wagner Woodlands in Lyme, NH, before starting O'Brien Forestry Services in 1982, where he consulted with landowners and managed over 30,000 acres throughout NH and VT, only retiring in the last couple of years. As a forester, he likened himself to an artist and was happiest running his bulldozer building trails and ponds. Even after and despite an early diagnosis of Alzheimer's, he spent his last two years developing an intricate labyrinth of walking trails on the wooded property he shared with his wife and family. It was on his beautifully curated land that he felt most content—sharing his enjoyment of the woods and ponds with his family and caring for his Christmas trees. John dedicated a great deal of time to building and managing O'Brien Family Christmas Trees, continuing until the day of his passing to plant and care for the trees he loved to share with others each holiday season.

John was a great athlete and captained his football teams at KHS and UNH. A tenacious and steadfast leader, his KHS teammates honored him with the Sharby Memorial Trophy at the end of his senior season. It was said that he never heard of the word 'quit' and, in one game, played with a broken leg, scoring a touchdown after the injury. As a father, he spent hours fielding balls with his three children and loved coaching both of his sons in baseball. As a grandfather, he loyally attended as many of his grandchildren's games and extracurriculars as he could. He took great joy in fishing and playing catch with his grandsons, cheering on his eldest granddaughter in gymnastics and snuggling the newest addition to his family, a 10-month-old granddaughter. His family affectionately remembers his love for sports, his affinity for travel and exploring new places, his sense of humor, and his fondness for ice cream.

A constant ambassador for what good sustainable forestry should be, John was a driving force in the Tree Farm Program, including chairing the NH Tree Farm Association. He was active as a tree farm inspector at the state and regional levels until the last weeks of his life and was honored with many forestry awards over the years. He was most pleased to receive the Wes Meier Award for National Outstanding Tree Farm Inspector of the Year in 1998. Equally dedicated to his friends and community, John was especially generous with his time as an active volunteer on the Parks and Playground Committee, the Orford Historical Society, and the Orford-Fairlee Lions Club. He took pride in organizing the annual Orford Veterans commemoration and honoring local Veterans. An avid Boston sports fan, John was humbled to be honored by the Boston Red Sox in 2018 as part of their Hats Off to Heroes tribute program honoring servicemen and women. It was a fitting testament to his service in the military and his dedicated advocacy for the recognition and support of other Veterans.

Despite all the accolades earned over his lifetime, he will be remembered most for his generous spirit, kind heart, and dedication to others. He is survived by his beloved wife Deborah Tullar O'Brien of Orford, his daughter and her husband Megan and Patrick Harding of Newbury, MA, his two sons and their wives, Michael and Keira O'Brien of Portsmouth, NH, and Daniel O'Brien and Kelley MacDonald of Brooklyn, NY; his five grandchildren Sam Harding, Rory O'Brien, Caitlin Harding, Aidan O'Brien, and Zennon O'Brien; a sister Betty Lou Miller of North Swanzey, NH, predeceased by a brother William O'Brien (wife Carolyn O'Brien) of Swanzey, NH, a brother James O'Brien of Swanzey, NH; his many adoring siblings-in-law, cousins, nephews and nieces; and countless friends and colleagues.

A celebration of John's life will be held Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 2PM at 26 Tree Farm Road, Orford, NH; all are welcome. Knight Funeral Home & Crematory has been entrusted with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed in an online guestbook at www.knightfuneralhomes.com .

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: New Hampshire Tree Farm Program, 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301 or Vietnam Veterans of America, 8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910.