Michael E. ‘Dusty’ O’Brien II, age 45, of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee passed away on Friday, January 19, 2024.
Dusty was born in Nashville, TN.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Raymell Twyman; maternal grandfather, Walter Twyman; and his paternal grandparents, Charles and Ruth O’Brien.
He enjoyed playing baseball and basketball, traveling, listening to music, and he loved a good ghost tour.
From the time Dusty was young, he had a drive to be the best and do his best. Second place was never an option with him. Some of his fondest memories growing up revolved around the friends and skills learned on (and off) the baseball diamond and the basketball court.
His love of sports flowed over into a love of coaching. Over the years, he coached the boys in football, basketball and baseball. He and his sister, Dana, coached the girls softball team when they were younger. The kids definitely got their talent for sports from him. He would always have them laughing in the dugouts. He was so proud of his kids. He never missed an opportunity to brag on how talented and smart they are and what great adults they are growing up to be.
Dusty’s kindness and compassion showed through his beautiful blue eyes and his warm, inviting smile. He lit up when talking about his kids and his wife, whom he met later in life. He never missed an opportunity to share how much he loved his wife and how thankful he was for their unconditional love and support of each other. They were true soulmates. They shared a passion to travel and see the world. He loved going on cruises with his family and his sister’s family. While on a cruise, waking up early to watch God’s sunrise was his favorite way to start each day.
He loved music and if you really knew Dusty, you knew he most likely had a set of headphones on him at all times. When he was little, he and Dana got some oldies tapes that they totally wore out. They created their own dances and sang along on their red mic. He also loved horror movies and he thought all the kids should enjoy them as well, even if they were scared out of their minds.
Dusty always thought fondly of his friends and work family. Thank you for loving him the way you all did!!
He is survived by:
Wife – Mandy O’Brien
Children – Tyson O’Brien, Riley Kraus, and Haven Sydney
Mother – Kathy O’Brien
Father – Michael (Barbara) O’Brien
Sister – Dana (Danny) Haley
Niece – Brooke Haley
Nephew – Grant Haley
Father-in-law and Mother-in-law – Jim and Kim Schott
Dusty will be interred after a private service with military honors at Nashville National Cemetery. A public Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date.
Bond Memorial Chapel, N. Mt. Juliet Road and Weston Drive, Mt. Juliet, TN. (615) 773-2663. www.bondmemorial.com
For more obituaries visit https://wilsoncountysource.com/obituaries/
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Never really got to know you but I always thought of you because not many people had our name in school and they used to confuse you and I. I always thought I would be the first to leave this life due to my diabetes. Rest easy friend. See you on the flip side!