Conan O’Brien’s mother has passed away just three days after his father died.
The 61-year-old TV host was left devastated after losing his dad, Dr. Thomas O’Brien, on Monday, at the age of 95, and he was dealt a double blow on Thursday when his mom Ruth Reardon O’Brien died at her home in Brookline, Massachusetts aged 92.
The sad news was confirmed in an obituary for Ruth, which read: ‘O’Brien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis O’Brien, M.D., who passed away on December 9th, 2024.’
Conan paid tribute to his dad in an interview with the Boston Globe, which was published on Thursday, saying: ‘Science has said there’s no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong.
‘My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everything – absolutely everything … The loudest I’ve ever heard anybody laugh was sitting next to him in a theater watching Peter Sellers in a Pink Panther movie … He was often the funniest guy in the room. And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself.
‘For the rest of my time on earth I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad. I’ve never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father.
‘If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, I’d think: ‘Who the hell is this guy? He’s the most interesting person I’ve ever met’.’
Conan O’Brien’s mother, Ruth Reardon O’Brien, has passed away just three days after his father died; seen in 2022
Conan’s parents will be remembered at a joint funeral in Boston on December 18.
Conan previously shared an anecdote about his mum meeting movie funnyman, Jim Carrey, at a Christmas party and failing to recognize him.
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During an appearance on Ryan Tubridy’s Virgin Radio show earlier this year, Conan said: ‘Years and years ago I had a Christmas party at my house.
‘This was at the height of Jim Carrey mania, you know, he was coming off of his fourth massive hit film, and it was like The Beatles … Everywhere Jim Carrey went there was a riot …
‘Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mother having a long chat with Jim Carrey, and I got nervous. When the party was over, I said: ‘Mom, what were you talking to that man about? Jim?’
‘And she said: ‘Oh … he told me that he’s a comedian, and I told him: ‘Well my son’s had his difficulties but he just keeps at it, and eventually made it. So if you just keep at it Jim, you’re gonna make it too’.
‘And I said to her: ‘Mom, I want you to go home to Boston and tell everyone you told Jim Carrey to keep at it!’
His mother was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts and graduated from Yale Law School, where she was one of only four women in her law school class.
The sad news was confirmed in an obituary for Ruth, which read: ‘O’Brien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis O’Brien, M.D., who passed away on December 9th, 2024’
Conan paid tribute to his dad in an interview with the Boston Globe , which was published on Thursday, saying: ‘Science has said there’s no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong
O’Brien and his wife, Liza Powel, with his parents backstage on the final night of Late Night with Conan O’Brien on February 20, 2009
While getting her degree, she served as the vice president of the student government and went on to become the second woman to be a partner at the law firm Ropes & Gray in Boston.
She met her husband in 1958 through her brothers, who were his classmates.
In addition to Conan, the pair are survived by their five other children Neal, Jane, Justin, Kate and Luke as well as nine grandchildren.
Last month news broke that Conan was tapped to host the Academy Awards for the first time.
He has emceed other high-profile awards shows, like the Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2006 and the White House Correspondents´ dinner in 1995 and 2013.
Conan’s parents will be remembered at a joint funeral in Boston on December 18 (seen in 2023)
The Oscars will air live on ABC on March 2.
Conan is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows Late Night with Conan O’ Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O´Brien and Conan.
Before his TV hosting career, O’Brien was a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons.
O’Brien joins the list of Oscar hosts that includes Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, David Letterman, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris.