James O'Brien, Jr., who helped found Deirdre's House, dead at 84

James O'Brien Jr., former Morris County freeholder and pioneer of the victims' rights movement, died Dec. 26 at the University of Maryland Medical Center at Easton. He was 84.

O'Brien, formerly of Mendham Township, was known for his fierce and tireless work on behalf of crime victims after his 25-year-old daughter, Deirdre O'Brien, was raped and murdered by serial killer James Koedatich in 1982.

Surviving O'Brien are his wife, Georgia Courtney O'Brien, three children, six grandchildren, and his sister, according to an obituary posted by the Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home in Maryland.

In his daughter's name, O'Brien and his wife worked for victims' rights and helped establish havens for victims of child abuse. The Deirdre O'Brien Child Advocacy Center, known as Deirdre's House, at 8 Court Street in Morristown, is part of that legacy.

During the holidays, Deirdre's House posted a tribute to O'Brien on its website.

"The children and families we serve will be forever grateful for all he and Georgia have done," wrote Executive Director Maria Vinci Savettiere. "Through the founding of Deirdre's House they have changed the course of thousands of children's lives. Their contribution will continue to touch child victims for generations to come."

She called the center a "living tribute" that will continue to honor O'Brien's memory.

On Wednesday, the New Jersey Crime Victims' Law Center released word of O'Brien's passing. Executive Director Richard Pompelio referenced O'Brien's key role between 1989 and 1991 in pushing for the adoption of a state Constitutional Amendment for Victim's Rights.

An anguished father

The public first related to O'Brien as an anguished father.

Before the events on Dec. 5, 1982, he was the father of four grown children and ran a water purification business. On that day, Deidre O'Brien, who had graduated Seton Hall University with a degree in Art History, was run off Washington Valley Road, a few miles from her home, and abducted from her car.

According to newspaper accounts of the time, she was taken to a Route 80 truck stop in Allamuchy Township. Although she'd been stabbed repeatedly, she managed to crawl 150 feet and give a trucker the description of her attacker.

Twelve days earlier, Koedatich had sexually assaulted and fatally stabbed another Morris County woman — 18-year-old Parsippany Hills High School cheerleader Amie Hoffman — after abducting her from the parking lot of a Morris County shopping mall.

Koedatich, formerly of Morristown, is now serving a life sentence for the crimes.

In a March 1989 article, seven years after the deaths, O'Brien told the Daily Record he had written 500 pages about the many traumas his family had gone through and continued to endure.

"I was talking about the two cases quite often to the family and I felt that talking about it that much was not good for them," he'd said. "I decided that if I wrote what was happening down, it would make me feel better and it would be less of a burden on them."

At the time, what was then a manuscript was being shopped to publishers as a book. O'Brien thought it would be a help to other families who went through similar experiences.

In 1992, he penned and advocated for a state Constitutional Amendment for Victim's Rights, which was passed into law in the election that year.

Freeholder and beyond

That same year, O'Brien was elected to the Morris County Board of Freeholders. A June 4, 1992 headline reads, "Unexpected victory has O'Brien exuberant." According to the article, O'Brien "rode cloud nine across Morris County painting 'Thank yous' on his campaign posters." He attributed his win to positive name recognition from his work in victims' rights and to his personal integrity.

He served as a freeholder for five years, ending his term as director of the board of freeholders.

In 1996, Gov. Christine Todd Whitman appointed O'Brien commissioner of the New Jersey Victim's Rights Compensation Board, a post he held until 2001 when he and his wife moved to St. Michaels, Maryland.

An avid sailor, James belonged to the Miles River Yacht Club in St. Michaels just as he'd belonged to the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club.

Continuing his public service, O'Brien served on many community boards in his new home. Among his online tributes is one from April A. Sharp, director of the Talbot County Department of Social Service.

"The families and children in the community of St Michaels and Talbot County have lost an unsung hero," Sharp wrote. "Not long after the O'Briens moved to the Eastern Shore, the Talbot County Children's Advocacy Center opened. Jim continued his legacy of advocacy for child abuse victims through his time on the TCAC Advisory Committee and also as a board member of Talbot Community Connections. Our center grew with the wisdom Jim imparted from the founding years of Deidre's House in New Jersey."

Early life

According to the official obituary, James Kenefick O'Brien Jr. was born in Germantown, Pa., on March 22, 1930, the only son of the late James K. O'Brien Sr. and Mary Carr O'Brien of Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

He graduated from Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, Pa., and from Fordham University School of Business in 1955. O'Brien served as a first lieutenant during the Korean War and continued serving in the Army Reserves for an additional three years.

As a businessman, he was president of O'Brien Industries of Livingston for 30 years.

O'Brien is survived by his wife of 59 years, Georgia Courtney O'Brien; and three children, James O'Brien III, Maureen O'Brien Scott and Erin O'Brien Higgins. He was most proud of his six grandchildren, James O'Brien IV, Joseph O'Brien, Stephen O'Brien, Kenneth Higgins, Samantha Higgins and Colin Higgins. He is also survived by his sister, Sarah O'Brien Lucynski.

A funeral liturgy is scheduled to be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan 3, at St. Michaels Mission Church, 109 Lincoln Ave., St. Michaels, Md. 21663. Inurnment will take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be sent to Deirdre's House, 8 Court St., Morristown, NJ 07960.

Online tributes are being collected at www.fhnfuneralhome.com.

Lorraine Ash: 973-428-6660; lash@njpressmedia.com