William "Bill" E. O'Brien

William E. “Bill” O’Brien passed away on August 15, 2023, a week shy of his eightieth birthday. Bill was born on August 23, 1943, in Christiansburg, Virginia, to Robert Emmett and Margaret Moon O’Brien. At an early age he moved with his family to Belzoni, Mississippi, where he met his wife, Edie, and graduated from Belzoni High School in 1961. He attended the University of Mississippi for two years before transferring to Mississippi State University after discovering his love of microbiology. Bill received a B.S. and M.S. in Microbiology from Mississippi State University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1971, from University of Georgia, Athens.

In 1975, following a postdoctoral research position at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, Bill began his professional career in genetics at Cleveland Metropolitan Hospital. He then joined Baylor College of Medicine as an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics and Genetics in 1978 requiring a move to Houston, Texas, where he and Edie raised their three children. Upon his arrival at Baylor, Bill founded the Biochemical Genetics Laboratory and served as director of this laboratory until his retirement in 2012.

Bill played a leadership role in the commercial development of the Medical Genetics Laboratory at Baylor, as it grew to be a globally prominent genetic lab providing services and research in biochemical genetics, cytogenetics, and molecular genetics. He was part of a small group of faculty that went on to become the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor where Bill was instrumental in the growth of the department over many decades. His support and guidance combined with scientific expertise created an environment of curiosity, focus, and purpose that he imparted on former trainees, facilitating their contributions to advancements in medical genetics.

Bill will be remembered fondly by family and friends, particularly for his enthusiasm for birding, dining, travel, photography and lively conversation. In recent years, he especially enjoyed a weekly coffee outing with friends, family dinners, and any time he could get outdoors and enjoy nature.

Bill is survived by his wife of 57 years, Edie Evers O’Brien, and his three children; Robert O’Brien of Waco, Casey Reed (Jordan), and Ann O’Brien, of Houston, Texas; seven grandchildren, and one great grandson. A celebration of his life is planned for Saturday, September 16th, 2023 at 2pm at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home in Houston, TX with reception to follow.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Bill’s name be directed to Houston Audubon Society, Houston Food Bank, or Baylor College of Medicine.