William J. O'Brien, 97, of Narragansett and formerly of Cumberland, passed away peacefully holding the hand of his daughter Michaela, on Tuesday March 4, 2025. Bill was the beloved husband of the late Violet O'Brien; they were happily married for over 61 years. Born in Cumberland, he was the son of William O'Brien and Madeline (Manning) O'Brien. Bill and his wife Violet were very active parishioners of St. Aidan's Church in Cumberland and later at St. Thomas More in Narragansett.

Their shared faith was a big part of their marriage and lives. They made pilgrimages together to many shrines including Lourdes, Fatima, Assi, and Medjugorje. Bill was also very active in the Knights of Columbus and was both Grand Knight and Knight of the Year for Council 3876.

Bill served in the US Army in the Philippines and was involved in WW2 restoration efforts, afterwards he returned stateside and began his career as a construction plumber, helping to build some of RI's greatest projects.

Bill was the father of Michaela Gardner (Bill) and the late Paul O'Brien. He leaves three grandsons: Billy (Kayla), Graham (Michelle), and Max (Etaysia) Gardner and three great grandchildren: Grace Violet, Ryan, and Liam Gardner. Bill also left many nieces and nephews and his friends at St. Thomas More.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to a Mass of Christian Burial on Tuesday March 11th at 11:00 AM, in Saint Thomas More Church, 53 Rockland Street, Narragansett. The family will begin receiving guests at 10:30 AM, prior to the Mass, in St. Thomas More Church. Burial with Military Honors will be in RI Veterans Cemetery, Exeter.

In lieu of flowers, donations to The American Indian College Fund , 8333 Greenwood Blvd., Denver CO 80221, would be greatly appreciated.