Dion Martin "Marty" O'Brien
Marty O'Brien passed away unexpectedly in his sleep Sunday, July 15, 2007, at the age of 63. Marty was the last of six children born on May 27, 1944, to Joseph Martin and Lucy (Willoughby) O'Brien in Spokane. He attended North Central High School where he excelled on both the basketball court and the baseball field and accomplished just enough to get by in the classroom. He went on to play baseball at Columbia Basin Community College and Eastern Washington University, where he earned all-conference honors at shortstop his senior year. On Dec. 28, 1963, he married Judy Ann Kemp, his high school sweetheart and wife of 43 years.
Marty served in the Washington Air National Guard at Geiger Field from 1967 to 1975. Upon graduating from college in 1967 Marty worked as a youth director at Fairchild Air Force Base two years, before returning to Eastern Washington University to earn his education degree. He worked for the Burlington Northern Railroad a short time before taking a teaching position with the Ephrata School District in August 1970. In his first year at Ephrata his additional responsibilities were junior high school wrestling coach and assistant high school baseball coach. He envisioned the Ephrata opportunity as being a stepping stone to bigger and better things, but quickly fell in love with the community and students and the challenge to make Ephrata a special place in which to live and grow up.
For 30 years he was an assistant baseball coach to close friend Dave Johnson. Together they built a baseball program and field complex that the community could be proud of and was second to none statewide. During the summers Marty and Dave were partners in TBI Baseball Carnp, instructing boys from around the northwest for over 30 years. After two years of coaching junior high basketball, Marty became the assistant high school basketball coach for seven years. In 1980 he became the head basketball coach at Ephrata and brought the school a stretch of unprecedented success over the next 21 years with the pinnacle being the 1993 Washington State Championship. His dedication and intense desire to be successful led to teams that gave their all on the field and court and represented the school in a way that earned respect from both the community and opponents. His coaching achievements were recognized when he was inducted into the Washington State Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994 and Washington State Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
He retired from education in 2002. In December 2003 Marty went to work for Canfield & Associates (later Brown & Brown) as a risk management workshop presenter. Marty enjoyed his partial retirement traveling with his wife, spending time with friends and family, especially his grandchildren, talking about wanting to play more golf, and closely following Notre Dame football.
Marty is survived by his wife, Judy; sister, Mary Vassar; brother Denny and his wife Dode; sons Shawn and his wife Laura Lea, Kelly, and Devin; three grandchildren, Darby, Dylan and Derek; and numerous nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Darby and Daniel, and sister Dorothy.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. in the Ephrata High School gymnasium on Saturday, Aug. 4, with Senior Pastor Brian T. Anderson, a former player and friend presiding. An Irish Wake - a Celebration of Life - will be held at the St. Rose of Lima School gymnasium at 5 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Columbia Basin Foundation for the Marty O'Brien Scholarship Fund, 234 First Ave., Ephrata, WA 98823.