Tribute to John O’Brien (1946 - 2025)

This collective tribute honors the life and work of John O’Brien (1946–2025), a philosopher, social innovator, and founding figure in person-centered planning and inclusion movements worldwide. Written by six of his close collaborators and friends—Dave Hasbury, Lynda Kahn, Oliver Koenig, Beth Mount, Jack Pearpoint, and Patti Scott—the piece weaves together stories, images, and reflections on O’Brien’s enduring influence on the field of intellectual and developmental disability. Tracing the evolution of key frameworks such as the Five Valued Experiences, MAPS, and PATH, the tribute situates O’Brien’s work within a broader historical and philosophical context of deinstitutionalization, community development, and social role valorization. Through the metaphor of weaving, the authors illuminate the relational and generative essence of O’Brien’s practice—a lifelong commitment to listening, learning, and co-creating with people most often excluded. This tribute serves both as remembrance and as invitation: to continue the work of imagining fuller lives, stronger communities, and a more humane world.