Founder / Owner
Leo — along with his brother Dan — co-founded O’Brien Brothers in 1958, overseeing its operations and later serving as a board member until his passing in 2021. Together with Dan, who was his best friend and confidant, the brothers worked hard to carry forward a family legacy of contributing to and giving back to the community that meant so much to them.
Leo was the eldest son of Leo O’Brien Sr. and Mabel Hayes O’Brien, growing up on the family’s cattle farm with his two siblings in South Burlington. He attended Central School, Cathedral High School, and Saint Michael’s College. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1950 to 1954, serving as a sonarman in the Atlantic Fleet. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1957.
In 1958, Leo and Dan went back to their father’s roots and formed O’Brien Brothers, a dairy farm and cattle trading operation. Over the years and as the community around them grew and evolved, Leo and Dan transitioned the business to residential and commercial real estate development to better serve the needs of their community and state. Leo’s hard work and vision later earned him — along with Dan — the title of “Citizens of the Year” in 2018 by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce.
Leo was tirelessly dedicated to bettering the state of Vermont, its people, and his surrounding community. He served on the South Burlington Planning Commission from 1960-1968 and as a South Burlington state representative from 1963-1969. In addition, Leo served as House Minority Leader for the Democrats from 1966-1968, was state senator from the Chittenden-Grand Isle District from 1969-1970, and ran as the Democratic candidate for governor of Vermont in 1970. He served as a special assistant to Governor Thomas Salmon in 1973, Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Vermont from 1973-1975, and special assistant to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy from 1975-1983.
Leo also participated on many civic and nonprofit boards and commissions to serve his community, including the University of Vermont, Saint Michael’s College, and the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont. From 1969 to 2002, Leo was a director of the Merchants Bank in Burlington, of which he became chairman of the board in 1995. He was also a member of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, a long-standing member of the Vermont Cattleman’s Association, the Vermont Farm Bureau, the Vermont Grange, the Elks Club, the Ethan Allen Club, and the American Legion.
Along with his wife, Bonnie, Leo enjoyed golfing, dining out with friends, and cruised to six of the seven continents. He also greatly enjoyed his family and spending time with his six children, 10 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
