Sean O'Dea

Sean Denis O’Dea passed away on Monday October 10th, 2022 at the age of 74, at the Ottawa General Hospital surrounded by loved ones.

Sean was the beloved husband of 50 years to Michèle O’Dea (née St-Hilaire) Ottawa and the loving father and father-in-law to Christine O’Dea (James Brook), of Toronto, Ontario, and to Vicki O’Dea (Rob Holton), of London, England. He was ‘Papi’ to, granddaughters Elizabeth and Emily, whom he adored and who emphatically adored him to bits. He was the cherished brother of the late Bill O’Dea (the late June O’Dea), Frank O’Dea (Nancy K. O’Dea) and Maureen O’Dea. He was the best brother-in-law and uncle to many, in both the O’Dea and St-Hilaire families.

Sean grew up in Montreal West and attended Laval University’s St.-Lawrence College in Québec City, where he met the love of his life, Michèle, originally from Princeville, Québec. This anglophone in the eastern townships certainly raised many eyebrows, yet Sean never faltered or failed to impress with his jokes and puns in French (despite still learning the language at the time). After marrying, Sean and Michèle moved to Belleville, Ottawa and eventually landed firmly in Oakville in 1980, where their daughters grew up.

Sean was an entrepreneur, through and through, playing key roles in the successes of The Second Cup, Samaritan Ambulance Airlines, and Proshred Security. After his career in small business, he joined UofT as an Adjunct Professor for five years, teaching business management.

Outside of work, Sean believed in giving back to the communities he belonged to. He spent over a decade volunteering with the BurlOak Parent Support Group, spent several years as a board member of Halton Family Services, and after moving back to Ottawa in 2008 spent several years on the board of Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) reviewing grant applications. He also spent close to a decade as a member of the Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS) supporting those with inspiring stories to share.

If Sean wasn’t thinking of sales and marketing, you could find him in his workshop, where all manner of tools were at his disposal for his woodworking projects. He was really handy; you could always count on Sean to handle any ‘blue job’ you might have at your own home. He’d arrive with a stocked tool box and plenty of creativity to solve whatever challenge you were up against. In his later years, he developed a passion for cooking - although he never managed to get the hang of portions, he wowed with his ingenuity and passion in the kitchen.

Sean will be remembered for his sense of humour, his larger-than-life laugh, endless supply of dad jokes and for being the greatest storyteller; he understood the value of a punchline! Sean was also very generous with his time and energy, always ready to listen and lend support. He gave great advice, both personal and business, if you asked. He lived life to the fullest with determination and passion - he was regularly overheard proclaiming “Life’s a joy!”

Despite the aggressive lung cancer diagnosis, he fought tirelessly to overcome the disease. He truly gave everything he had to stay here with us - the man had grit. Thank you to Dr. Lajeunesse of Ottawa, the oncology team at The Ottawa General Hospital, and to the nursing teams on the 5th and 6th floors who supported him with respect and compassion during his stays.

Family, friends and colleagues are invited to a gathering in celebration of Sean’s life at the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa on Saturday, November 12, 2022 from 1:00pm, Celebration of Life will get underway at 1:30pm, with reception immediately to follow until 3:00pm. For those unable to join us in person, you can livestream the Celebration of Life online by registering at the following link: Livestreaming Services Sean O'Dea

In lieu of flowers, in memoriam donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Ottawa Hospital Foundation.