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

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

and

Canadian Canadians () 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 their being ''C ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

and the fourth

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

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 Memorial University of Newfoundland, or MUN (), is a Public university, public research university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook ...

(MUN),

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

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

. In 1939, he was selected

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Esta ...

for

, but delayed going to Oxford in order to join the

Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve The Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) was a naval reserve force of the Royal Canadian Navy from 1923 to 1946. It replaced the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR). Foundation The RCNVR was created in 1923. The organizati ...

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

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

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 association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

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

Board of Regents In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual co ...

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 ...

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 Canadians, 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 mar ...

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 A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

* 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 Canadian Rhodes Scholars Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford