O’BRIEN, III, M.D., David

July 7, 1940 – August 20, 2020

David Patrick O’Brien III passed away in the early morning on

August 20, 2020, at the age of

80. He passed peacefully in his sleep wearing one of his favorite shirts from his alma mater, Princeton University, while at one of his favorite spots, St. George Island,

Florida. He was vacationing with family, and his last few days were filled with laughter and love.

David was known by different names to different friends and family, all of whom loved him deeply - David, Obie, Dr. O’Brien, Dad, Grampa and Honey. David attended Atherton High School in Louisville, Kentucky, where he served as the 1958 Senior Class President and as captain of the football and baseball teams. In 2019, he was inducted into the Atherton High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame. At Princeton, “Obie” displayed a mischievous side (details of which were news to his children), made lifelong friends, and prepared himself for his medical career. He was a proud member of the class of 1962, and served as class president from 2007-2012, masterminding their landmark 50th reunion. He cherished his Princeton family, known as the Lockhart Lair, with whom he and Sue traveled and reminisced regularly.

After graduating Princeton, Dr. O’Brien received his medical degree from the University of Kentucky in 1966 and was a lifelong Cats fan. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1968, and served in the U.S. Navy as a Battalion Surgeon for the Third Battalion/Seventh Marines, First Marine Division. He was awarded the Navy-Marine Commendation Medal in 1969 for meritorious service.

After honorably serving in Vietnam, Dr. O’Brien trained in Urology at Emory University, joining the faculty in 1973. He was a founding surgeon of Piedmont Hospital’s kidney transplant program and skillfully harvested organs, performed donor nephrectomies, transplants and complex urologic procedures. During his first year at Piedmont, the total number of renal transplants increased from 45 to 154, indicative of Dr. O’Brien’s skill and determination. Among many honors, David received a distinguished alumni award from the Emory University Department of Urology in 2014, and was recognized for his lifetime of accomplishments as a “Pioneer in Transplantation” by the Georgia Transplant Foundation in 2019.

David and his wife Sue were together for 31 years and loved to gather with family and friends, travel and enjoy great meals. He particularly loved London and Paris and delighted in reminiscing about their many trips and recounting funny stories of adventures abroad. David loved music and musicals, memorizing the lyrics of his favorites which he would watch many times over. For David’s 80th birthday, Sue gifted him a Disney+ subscription, which was the best birthday gift ever as they watched Hamilton too many times to count, and true to form, King George was David’s favorite character. He played league tennis at Druid Hills Golf Club, where he was a member for more than 45 years. Upon retirement in 2008, David continued to use his hands as he developed a love of carpentry, attending carpentry classes and turning his garage into a workshop where he made toys and furniture for loved ones. He enjoyed any opportunity to be with his five children and eight grandchildren.

Obie, Dr. O’Brien, Dad, Grampa and Honey will be remembered for his quick wit and dad jokes, kind heart, deep friendships and his love for tennis and carpentry. His family and friends take solace in his gentle passing in one of his favorite places. His wife, Dr. Susan H. Kinsella, his children, Dr. David P. O’Brien IV (Shannon) of Portland, Oregon, Dr. Kirk O’Brien (Alexis) of Atlanta, Georgia, Megan Noltemeyer (Patrick) of Burlington, North Carolina, Steven O’Brien (Carrie) of Atlanta, Georgia, and Cristin Stancil (Robert) of Canton, Georgia, eight grandchildren, Samantha, Owen, Jackson, Garrett, Marshall, Weldon, Max, and Elliott, yellow lab, Noah, and close friends will miss him dearly.

A celebration of David’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Georgia Transplant Foundation at https://gatransplant.org/getinvolved/.