Bye, George
PBA members past and present come out to honor
the collective genius of George O’Brien
A group of retired members gathered around a table at the
Brownstone in Paterson on Oct. 4, mixing it up like they used to do
at PBA meetings and events 20 or 30 years ago. Listening to their
stories and hearing about their accomplishments radiated a feeling
that might pervade a Yankees Old-Timers’ Day.
And amid such greatness, the man catching the accolades ac-
corded to a DiMaggio, Mantle or Yogi – or all of them rolled into
one – on this night was George O’Brien. The longtime Clifton officer
who became the PBA’s Labor Relations Coordinator and collective
bargaining Yoda concluded his 50-year career in July.
At his retirement dinner, members from across the state joined
those who started on the job shortly after George to thank him for,
as the invocation on this night cited, “His knowledge, teaching, ac-
curacy, determination and many other gifts.”
Summit Local 55 State Delegate Mike Freeman, who has succeed-
ed O’Brien as the labor relations coordinator, hosted the event and
offered a simple tribute that defined the way George went after all
of his jobs.
“George is now 75 years old and the stamina it takes to do this, I’m
very impressed at how he did it for so long,” Freeman extolled. “It’s
a lot of work you did so well.”
O’Brien has mentored so many PBA members and seemingly ev-
ery board member, county conference chair and State Delegate. But
those he impacted the most were the ones who served as chair of
the PBA’s Collective Bargaining Committee.
Freeman was the last chair to serve under George. Another of
those chairmen was PBA Executive Vice President Marc Kovar.
“I remember talking to George when I first started as collective
bargaining chair and I don’t even know what he’s saying. I’m think-
ing, ‘You’re way too smart for me, George,’” Kovar told the hundreds
of people who came out for the dinner. “So many times I went to
George for advice, and he never led me down the wrong path. I
learned so much from George.”
State President Pat Colligan mused how, as an early riser, he al-
ways thought he would be the first to arrive at the PBA office each
morning. He tried to get there by 6:30 a.m. most days.
“I think I beat George maybe a total of three times,” Colligan
quipped.
The PBA president went on to thank the person who truly de-
The O’B
rien family
Well-wishes
from…
The NJSPBA Collective
Bargaining Commit tee
58
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ OCTOBER 2018
Mike Freeman (second from right), who succeeded George as PBA Labor Re-
lations Coordinator, joins NJ State PBA President Pat Colligan (right) and Ex-
ecutive Vice President Marc Kovar (left) in presenting O’Brien with a plaque
to commemorate his 50 years of service.
served credit for all that George has accomplished – his wife, Dor-
othy. And he added how much George has meant to every member.
“There are tens of thousands of law enforcement officers in
this state who owe a debt of gratitude to George,” Colligan stated.
“George was always the litmus test for everything that was going
right in the PBA office.”
Members
Members of the Passaic County
Conference
of the Ocea
n
Conference County