Michael Charles O’Brien, Jr., MAI, SIOR, CRE succumbed to cumulative illnesses on June 16, 2010 in Margaretville, New York.

Mike was born in Brooklyn on May 5th, 1928 and attended Holy Innocents and Brooklyn Prep. He continued his education at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Upon his graduation in 1949, he enlisted in the Navy choosing to volunteer for the submarine service. He was stationed in Pearl Harbor during the Korean War and attained the rank of Lieutenant. While in Hawaii he met Ruth Finlen from Butte, Montana and after a courtship that spanned Hawaii, Montana and New York he proposed to her in a Roman Catholic Church on the beach in Hawaii. They married in Butte on September 1, 1955.
Mike and Ruth returned to his beloved Flatbush, Brooklyn where he entered his father’s real estate business, M. C. O’Brien, Inc., and started a 60-year career that culminated with the firm’s 100-year anniversary in 2009.

During his career he garnered an unprecedented knowledge of commercial real estate in Brooklyn and Queens as well as developing an impressive list of professional credentials including “SIOR” Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, “CRE” Counselor of Real Estate and “MAI” Member of the Appraisal Institute as well as an affiliation with the Columbia Society of Real Estate Appraisers. Individually, any one of these designations would have been an achievement in their own right, but collectively they demonstrate his commitment to the Commercial Real Estate Industry and furthermore, his own professional development.  In addition to his business ventures he maintained volunteer and board positions at The American Red Cross, The United Hospital Fund, The Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service and The Brooklyn Benevolent Society.  He was also President of The Brooklyn Board of Realtors as well as the local chapter of SIOR and a Director of The Lincoln Savings Bank and a Member of the Advisory Board of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company.  He maintained membership in The Brooklyn Club, The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, The Municipal Club of Brooklyn, The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and he remained devoted to his Catholic faith his entire life.

In addition to his wife “Roostie” of 54 years he is survived by his 5 children; Michael C. O’Brien, III of Floral Park, NY, Margaret Greason of Manhattan, Thomas J. O’Brien of Roxbury, NY, William P. O’Brien of Rockville Centre, NY and Ellen Bryceland of Bronxville, NY and 13 grandchildren.  Three sisters, Margaret Everett, Mary Lou Ortieg and Alice Ann Clifton, also survive him.

Visitation will take place at Fred H. McGrath & Son, Inc. Funeral Home, 20 Cedar Street, Bronxville, NY on Monday, June 21 at 2pm-4pm and 6pm-9pm.  A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Tuesday, June 22 at 11am at Immaculate Conception Church, 8645 Edgerton Boulevard, Jamaica, NY.  In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Brooklyn based non-profit, CAMBA, Inc.