Luke J. O’Brien passed away on Friday May 20, 2022. He was born in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, and lived there until he was five, and then the family moved to the Kingsbridge area in the Bronx, where he had still lived. He went to P.S. 7 grammar school, graduated from John F. Kennedy High School, and attended Lehman College. He had good memories growing up and had many adventures with a lot of the kids from the neighborhood. One of them was by the Harlem River where the “Big C rock” (Columbia rock) was located.

He worked for Verizon in the video group for over thirty years in Manhattan. He would tell us, and we enjoyed hearing about it, the special events he occasionally got the opportunity to work at, such as the Thanksgiving day parade and the New Year’s Eve ball drop. One of the many things he really enjoyed going to was the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC. He had gone to it many times with his father, his son, and many others.

Luke was an avid bike rider, and he would say many times, that he considered it his “main mode of transportation.” Besides his daily commute on the subway, he enjoyed getting around by bike. That’s how some people remember seeing him around the neighborhood. He also loved music and had quite a collection in various genres.

He was an excellent cook and would make huge quantities of food to share with others, especially family members. Everyone really enjoyed his homemade dishes, especially during the holidays and other occasions.

Luke came from a large family, and with his strong personality, hard work, and perseverance, he overcame many challenges and obstacles, and as he would say, he learned a lot from the school of “hard knocks”.

He has a son, Keith, with Eduvirge (Grace) De La Rosa, with whom he loved. He is predeceased by his Mom and Dad, Eileen and John. He was the youngest of eight children and was a much loved brother and brother in law to John O’Brien and Chris, Joan (O’Brien) Dauernheim and George, Richard (deceased), Helen (O’Brien) Pisano and Joseph, Patricia (O’Brien) Perepeluk and John (deceased), Anthony, and Matthew. He was a beloved uncle to Lauren, Paul, Andrew, William, and Briana. His two aunts, his mother’s sisters, Dolly (Catherine) Bradley, and Joan Reilly, and their families.

He was especially close to his son Keith, his brother Matthew, who lived in the same building, and brother Anthony who lived nearby. Although he had a special relationship with all his siblings, they were the three youngest in the family and Luke had a very strong bond with them.

He was a very kind, humble, smart, and generous person. Luke lived his life with great courage, strength and empathy for others in need. His quick wit and sense of humor was contagious and always on the mark.

We all love him very much and will miss him terribly.

Reposing Tuesday 5/31/2022 from 4-7 pm at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home, 6110 Riverdale Ave., Bronx NY. Mass of Christian Burial Wednesday 6/1/2022, 9:45 am at St. Margaret of Cortona Church. Interment Gate of Heaven.