October 4, 1927 – August 12, 2022 James W. O’Brien, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died peacefully at home in Corona del Mar on August 12, 2022, at the age of 94. Wife of 68 years, Mavis, daughter Margie, son Jim, grandsons Porter, Cooper and Ellis, granddaughter Isabel and great-granddaughter Ada.
Jim grew up in Los Angeles, attended Los Angeles High School, Menlo School, and graduated from USC, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. He graduated from Hastings College of Law, where he served as editor of the Law Review. Before starting his career in law, he served in both World War II and the Korean War, later as a naval aviation intelligence officer, circumnavigating the world on aircraft carriers.
Jim had a keen intellect, possessed compassion, an enduring sense of fairness, and a strong desire to give back to the community. He involved himself in various organizations. He served as president of the West Orange County YMCA, the Bowers Museum Foundation, and the president of the Orange County Bar Association. He was the recipient of the Orange County Bar Franklin G. West Award in 1991 for his lifetime achievements in advancing justice and the law.
He believed that because the practice of law had made a lavish life for his family, he had to give something to his profession in return. After the family moved from Los Angeles to Orange County in 1967, he began serving on the Orange County Bar Association’s board of directors. In 1987, he was elected to the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California. He also served on the California Commission on Judicial Performance and was appointed a presiding judge for the State Bar Court. Colleagues valued his ability to cut out outsiders and uncover the heart of the matter, while treating everyone with the utmost respect.
In 1980, he joined a small group of judges and lawyers to help raise free legal services for low-income residents in Orange County, and Amicus Publico was born. It later became the Public Law Center, working to address systemic injustices that plagued the poor. He firmly believed that justice should serve all equally, and worked to remove the barrier of poverty on the path of equal justice.
While his professional achievements were significant, they pale in comparison to his commitment to his family. He was a passionate skier, first skiing at Mammoth in the 1940s, when Dave McCoy was driving a moveable rope tow with a car engine. He made sure his children developed a love for the sport, and the family took the Countess of Mammoth trips and resorts across the Rocky Mountains.
Throughout his life he found new things to spark his interest; He and Mavis developed a keen interest in contemporary art, and traveled extensively. He became a master chef who enjoyed cooking for family and friends (Mavis ensured a beautiful presentation), and after his retirement he surprised us all by becoming a skilled woodworker.
He leaves a better world for his years of service and a family forever grateful for his guidance and exceptional example. His final years were transformed by Alzheimer’s disease, but even as he slowly (and sometimes painfully) left us, his cordial essence always shone. He faced the hardships of this terrible disease with grace, discovering a new wonder at the simple beauties and kindness of life.
He was the best gentleman and the best man of the greatest generation. Our heart is full of love and gratitude.
There will be a private ceremony.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name:
Publiclawcenter.org
Published by the Los Angeles Times on August 21, 2022.
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