My name is Tom Nickel and my wife Lindsey and I own O’Brien’s Pub, a place John called home, that is filled with a group of friends who felt like family. Many of us were lucky enough to encounter John on a near daily basis. His enthusiasm for life was contagious and when he flashed that brilliant smile you just couldn’t help but smile yourself.
I always believed that John’s unbridled enthusiasm for the people and events around him every day was his most endearing quality. No matter if it was a game of darts, a story, a new joke, a hike, a concert, a road trip – John genuinely wanted to be a part of it and make it more fun. He made everyone at the pub happier when he was around, even in that blinking Broncos hat he always seemed to be wearing during Charger games.
One of my favorite stories with John involves beer, of course. Those that knew his drink at the pub knew that he drank almost exclusively Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Company. Back in April of 2010 we had the privilege of being the first bar in the country to tap kegs of a Belgian beer named Malheur. It was already a very popular bottle around the pub and we had coined the phrase “Malheur Time” instead of “Miller Time”.
We kept the beer on tap for several weeks after the first tapping. After about 3 weeks of John drinking mostly Malheur I asked him if he wanted a Pliny the Elder. He told me “No” because he had to enjoy this special one time opportunity to drink Malheur on tap. When I explained that this was a product launch and that Malheur would be available on draft year round he immediately exclaimed “You mean I can finally stop drinking it? Get me a Pliny!”
It was just so perfectly John Brady. He wanted to make the most of everything – enjoy it to the fullest. His glass was not only half full – it was about to get refilled with something even better. John always saw the good in life and in other people. He was warm and inviting and always made you feel at ease.
You might have seen the poster that asks “Lord help me to be the person my dog thinks I am.” Well, John might be the one person who really was the person his dog thought he was.
He was probably the most universally liked pub customer we have ever had. In holding a proper Irish Wake for him at the pub a few weeks ago, we used the occasion as a fundraiser for charities that were important to John including Movember, a campaign for men’s health and Second Chance Dog Rescue, where John had adopted his dog Amy. We donated all of the beer and folks were just asked to put money into a box for John. We raised over $3700 dollars for charity in memory of John, which is a wonderful testament to what he meant to the people around him. And we are not done yet. There will be a John Brady Movember Team at O’Brien’s that all are welcome to join.
When trying to figure out what to say, I wanted so much to find the right movie quote – quoting movies was something I loved doing with John. But there just wasn’t one that spoke to who he really was or what needed to be said. So I decided instead to quote the fellow actors who shared John’s stage, albeit far too briefly.
There were words that kept coming up to describe John again and again. These included – respectful, honest, fun, kind, considerate, passionate and everyone mentioned his room filling smile. He embodied the best of what we all strive to be.
These are a few of the amazing words written about John’s life and the legacy he leaves behind in our hearts…
You had a keen wit and were always a blast to talk to
You always make me smile
John was a part of a family here at O’Brien’s
What a beautiful person you are – I use the present tense because you will always live in our hearts and memory.
Friend to all, enemy of none
John really knew how to live
And my favorite, You will always be the master Jedi
I also want to read one of the Facebook posts from a pub customer that was simply too good to only use part of. It accurately reflects the feelings of those of us who shared our evenings with him over a beer.
It is hard to judge the impact one person has on another even when your paths cross, almost, daily. John was my friend and I will miss him terribly. He never had a bad thing to say about anybody and he was the first to respond if help was needed.
How do you measure a life when it impacted so many in a positive way? He was a good man. He always had the right joke or, if the moment required it, the right over the top opinion of himself. That isn’t meant to be a bad thing. John, the John I knew, didn’t take himself that seriously. He could laugh at himself and roll with the punches as well as anyone I have ever known.
John was my friend and I will miss him terribly. My life is richer for having known him. The world is diminished by the quenching of his light. Rest in peace John, you will be missed more than you would ever have imagined.
I want to thank everyone for the opportunity to say a few words about my friend. In closing, the only way I can sum it up is that we all loved you John.
You will be missed terribly, but remembered wonderfully.