Memorable Manitobans: Aidan J. O’Brien (1942-2015)

Click to enlarge

Aidan J. O’Brien
Click to enlarge

Community activist.

Born at Dublin, Ireland on 15 August 1942, he moved to Toronto, Ontario in 1966 and came to Winnipeg in 1971 where he worked for Canada Life, becoming Superintendent of Pensions for the Province of Manitoba in 1974. He joined Manitoba Blue Cross in 1984 as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and was President and CEO from 2002 until retirement in 2008.

Active in the community, he was Founding President of the Irish Association of Manitoba, Founding Artistic Director of the Tara Players Theatre Company, co-founder of the Acting Irish International Theatre Festival, President of the Folk Arts Council, Chair of the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, President of the Winnipeg Fury Soccer Club, and President of the Pine Ridge Golf Club (1996-1997). He was a Board Member for the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Manitoba Liquor Commission, Manitoba Medical Services Foundation, Venture Manitoba, and Winnipeg Police Commission, and was the Honorary Irish Consul to the Province of Manitoba. He was Chairman of the St. Boniface Hospital and Research Foundation. In recognition of his community service, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002). He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (2008) for his service as President of the Winnipeg Fury soccer team.

He died at Winnipeg on 15 December 2015.

Sources:

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 19 December 2015.

We thank Malcolm Woligrocki for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 8 January 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!