Fabian Aloysius O'Dea, (January 20, 1918 – December 12, 2004) was a Newfoundland and

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

lawyer and the fourth

lieutenant governor of Newfoundland The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador () is the viceregal representative in Newfoundland and Labrador of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as w ...

Family

He was the son of John V. O'Dea and May (Coady) O'Dea. In 1950, O'Dea married Constance Margaret (Peggy) Ewing. They had four children; Deborah (1951), Victoria (Viki) (1953), Stephen (1954) and Jane (1956).

Life and career

Born in St. John's, O'Dea was educated at St. Bonaventure's College, Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN),

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

, Dalhousie University and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1939, he was selected Rhodes Scholar for Newfoundland, but delayed going to Oxford in order to join the

Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve The Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) was a naval reserve force of the Royal Canadian Navy, which replaced the Royal Navy Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR). Foundation The RCNVR was created in 1923. The organization was established ...

, where he served as torpedo officer. In 1945, when he retired from the reserve he attended

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

for a BCL degree and was admitted to the

English Bar Barristers in England and Wales are one of the two main categories of lawyer in England and Wales, the other being solicitors. Barristers have traditionally had the role of handling cases for representation in court, both defence and prosecutio ...

at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

in 1948. In 1949, O'Dea was made honorary aide-de-camp to the Governor General of Canada. From 1949 to 1961 he was aide-de-camp to the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 1963 O'Dea became Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador and a QC. O'Dea was a member of the

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for MUN, Vice-President for Newfoundland at the

Canadian Bar Association The Canadian Bar Association (CBA), or Association du barreau canadien (ABC) in French, represents over 37,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers and law students from across Canada. History The Association's first Annual Meeting was he ...

and a member of the Canadian Rhodes Scholarship selection committee. Fabian O'Dea was also a collector of sixteenth to eighteenth century maps of Newfoundland and Labrador. John R. O'Dea was the brother of Fabian O'Dea.

Brian O'Dea Brian O'Dea (born September 1, 1948) is a Canadian businessman, author, television personality, and former drug smuggler. He is best-known for a large marijuana smuggling enterprise he masterminded in the mid-1980s. Set up to move marijuana in b ...

was Fabian O'Dea's nephew.

Awards and honours

O'Dea's awards include: * 1963 Knight of Grace of St. John of Jerusalem * 1969

LL.D Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the earl ...

by Memorial University of Newfoundland * 1988 Knight of Malta * 1990 Knight of Justice of St. John of Jerusalem

References

External links

Biography at Government House ''The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odea, Fabian Aloysius 1918 births 2004 deaths Members of the Inner Temple Canadian King's Counsel Memorial University of Newfoundland alumni Dalhousie University alumni University of Toronto alumni Canadian people of Irish descent Knights of Malta Lieutenant Governors of Newfoundland and Labrador People from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Royal Canadian Navy officers Newfoundland Rhodes Scholars Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford