Larry was born on a farm January 7, 1928 outside of Grafton NE; Larry grew up during the Great Depression. He farmed with his family and despite the difficult times, he always characterized his childhood as a blessed and happy one. He attended the one room O'Brien school and Geneva High School. Drafted in 1951, he worked as a clerk-typist and was stationed at Los Alamos, NM where the Army was developing the H-bomb. He traveled to the Marshall Islands and watched as the bomb was tested. He wrote his mother a letter everyday but was not allowed to tell her about the project. After the Army, he attended The Omaha Art School and The American Academy of Art in Chicago. After finishing school, Larry worked in the art department of the Walgreen's Drug Store's home office in Chicago. In the fall of 1955, he moved to Denver and worked for Rogers/Connors Publishing which produced industrial magazines. He traveled to Chicago, Boston and New York for work and enjoyed attending several World's Fairs. In Denver, Larry became an avid downhill skier. He also met and fell in love with his wife of forty-five years, Christine, at the church bowling league.

They married November 27, 1965 in Lesterville, SD.

In 1975, Larry moved with his wife and four children from Denver to Yankton to be closer to family. He enjoyed Yankton with its proximity to Lewis and Clark Lake and the Missouri River. For years, he would rent a sleeping cabin every summer and spend several days at the lake, reading, meditating and communing with his surroundings. He worked at Gurney's Seed and Nursery in their catalog department for twenty-three years. He walked the four blocks to work, home for lunch, and back every day. Since his retirement in 1990, Larry has enjoyed traveling, spending time with his grandchildren, working out at The Summit, designing quilts with his wife, and attending daily mass.

In 1999, he traveled to Ireland and thoroughly enjoyed his "trip across the pond." He also ventured to West Point, New York City, New England, Nebraska, Kansas City and Montana. He had many talents, paramount among them was his ability to enjoy everything he did, including many, many dishes. Larry wrote in his memoirs, "We all have blessings, you know." All who knew him were blessed by his laughter, his kindness, his optimism and his joyous spirit.

He was a man of deep faith, true kindness and great humor. He is survived by his beloved wife Christine (Kuchta) of Yankton, his daughters Jackie O'Brien-Nair (Venu) of Kansas City, MO and Colleen (Mark Howser) of East Glacier, MT and son Kevin, (Becky) Bloomfield, NE, his grandchildren Isabella and Sinjin Nair, Quinn and Brittany O'Brien, Dalton and Merritt Howser, his sister Frances Fessler of Sutton, NE, brothers John (Mary) of Geneva, NE and Mike (Donna) of Fairmont, NE, his mother-in-law, Louise Kuchta of Yankton, many in-laws and 64 beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son Tom, his sisters Mary, Helen, Kathleen and Theresa and his parents, George and Sara (Britt) O'Brien. Memorials may be directed to the Lawrence O'Brien Scholarship Fund at Sacred Heart School, 509 Capitol, Yankton, SD.