Edward Joseph O'Brien of Ashland passed away unexpectedly Thursday November  3 ^rd . He was the son of late Edward and Olive (Fleury) O'Brien and the husband of Patricia (Greenwood) O'Brien who recently just celebrated their 40th anniversary. He was a  graduate of Waltham High School and received his bachelor's degree from Boston University, and MBA from Bentley College. Ed worked as a Research Director at ARC Advisory Group and founded Competitive Directions, a consulting company. Ed was a car enthusiast and could be found at many local car shows in his 1966 Mustang. Additionally, Ed loved spending family vacations at the cape each summer where he would stop at Bass River beach and Hyannis harbor to watch the boats go by.

In addition to his wife, Ed is survived by four children: Kathleen O'Brien and her partner Mark Garcia of Brighton, Karen O'Brien and her partner Andrew Lak of Burlington, Mark O'Brien and his wife Lucrecia of Holliston, and Lauren Reilly and her husband Jackson of Providence, RI. Additionally, Ed had two beloved grandchildren Logan and Liliana O'Brien.

Visiting hours will be held Monday November 7 ^th from 4:00-7:00 PM at Matarese Funeral Home, 325 Main Street, Ashland, MA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday November 8 ^th at 9:00 AM at St. Cecilia's Church, 54 Etsy St. Ashland MA with burial to follow at Wildwood Cemetery in Ashland. In Lieu of Flowers, donations can be made to Above the Cloud Kids, Norwood Memorial Airport, 125 Access Road, Norwood MA 02062.