Necrology

Sean Michael O’Haire '81

Jan. 25, 1959-Jul. 22, 2024

Sean Michael O’Haire ’81 died on July 22, 2024, in Vero Beach, Fla. Born on Jan. 25, 1959, in Mount Vernon, Ohio, he grew up in Vero Beach and came to Hamilton from St. Edward’s School, a private preparatory school in that community. On the Hill, he was a member of Chi Psi fraternity and majored in English. He also played golf and was a DJ for WHCL.

During the course of a summer internship in Orlando, Fla., he met Baerbel Otto, a native of Wiesbaden, Germany, who had migrated to the United States in 1973. They later married. At the time they met, she was an undergraduate at the University of Florida majoring in accounting and economics. She would graduate in 1983.

Following his graduation from Hamilton, Sean began what would be a lifetime career in real estate by spending a year selling timeshares to vacationers in Vero Beach. In the fall of 1982, he enrolled in the Florida State University College of Law to prepare for a legal career, following in the footsteps of both his grandfather and his father. After she completed her degree, Baerbel joined him in Tallahassee. On Aug. 25, 1985, after Sean had earned his Juris Doctor, they were married in Orlando. They would have three children.

Degree in hand, Sean joined the family firm of Smith, O’Haire, Quinn, and Chandler, and remained there until 2006. In 1995, he started LAWGIX, an online legal documentation service primarily for real estate. Two years later, the company changed its name to ProDox and in 2002 became TRULEGAL; he dissolved it in November 2005. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, he retired in 2006. 

Sean and his family were world travelers, ultimately visiting 23 countries. At home they were avid boaters, principally on the Indian River Lagoon. He was also something of a cook, happy to be preparing food for his family in a kitchen overlooking the Indian River where he caught glimpses of dolphins. For many years, he was a member of the Quail Valley River Club and John’s Island Club.

He was also a generous supporter of a number of nonprofit organizations in Florida, contributing regularly to the College of Law at Florida State, St. Edward’s School, the Vero Beach Museum of Art, the Florida Atlantic University Foundation, the Visiting Nurses Association, and the American Bar Association Foundation. He also supported the Hamilton Fund and the Class of 1981 Alexander Hamilton Scholarship.

Sean M. O’Haire is survived by his spouse, his mother, and three children.

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