Longtime Ephrata coach, educator dies

EPHRATA — Retired coach Martin "Marty" O'Brien, 63, died in his home Sunday evening of an apparent heart attack.

Friends and family said the news was unexpected.

O'Brien coached Ephrata youth for more than 30 years.

"He inspired a lot of kids," said Judy O'Brien, who was married to Marty O'Brien for more than 43 years. The two moved to Ephrata in 1970, when Marty O'Brien started teaching in the Ephrata Junior High School physical education department.

"He was bigger than life," she said. "He was a great educator. He related to kids."

Marty and Judy O'Brien grew up in Spokane. They planned to live in Ephrata temporarily before returning to Spokane.

"It took a couple years, but the longer we stayed, the more we liked it," she said.

They raised three sons together, all of whom are now grown.

Those who knew Marty O'Brien often described him as a motivator.

"You couldn't help but be inspired when you were around him," said Gary Archer, who worked alongside O'Brien as assistant coach of the Ephrata High School baseball team.

Marty O'Brien spent more than 30 years as an assistant baseball coach, 21 years as head basketball coach, and seven years as assistant basketball coach.

He founded TBI Baseball Camps with longtime colleague and friend, Dave Johnson.

Johnson and O'Brien started coaching together in 1970, when Johnson became head coach of the Ephrata Tigers baseball team.

"He was a really good friend of mine, and also a working colleague and business partner," Johnson said.

Johnson described O'Brien as intense, faithful, honest and committed.

"He had a real passion for everything," Johnson said.

They planned this summer to be their last year of the TBI Baseball Camps. It is the first year children are not receiving a motivational speech face-to-face by Marty O'Brien, Johnson said. Instead, children are going to watch a video with pictures and a recording of him speaking, Johnson said.

Ephrata Fire Department Chief Jeremy Burns took a conditioning class with Marty O'Brien when he was in eighth grade. The class wasn't just about working out, Burns said.

"It was about raising youngsters for positive attributes in their lives," he said.

Marty O'Brien spoke to students about honesty and integrity, he said.

Ephrata School District Superintendent Jerry Simon said O'Brien's lifetime record as coach was 340 wins and 179 losses as basketball coach. He was the most motivating person Simon ever met.

He was so loyal to the Ephrata School District, he mentored young coaches as recently as this summer, Simon said.

"Everybody will agree he was too young to pass away, but he lived his life to the fullest," Simon said.