Joseph J. O'Dea of Bloomfield passed away on Sunday February 9, 2014 at the age of 90. Born and raised in Jersey City, he lived in Bloomfield for 60 years. Joseph was a veteran of World War II serving in the Army Air Forces in the 874th Squadron participating in the Asiatic Pacific Campaign. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Seton Hall University. Joseph was the Marine Operations Supervisor in Port Newark for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for 43 years prior to his retirement in 1988. He was a member of St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church, Bloomfield. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he always put his family first, enjoying summer vacations at the Jersey Shore, O'Dea clan reunions in Ireland, and traveling with his beloved wife, Mary Jane.
Mr. O'Dea was the devoted husband for 64 years of Mary Jane (nee Collins) O'Dea; father of Patricia O'Dea-Rosen & her husband Ted, Kathleen Pelak & her husband Ron, John "Jack" O'Dea & his wife Melanie and Anne O'Dea; brother of the late Dorothy McGill and the late Anne Horan; grandfather of Amy, Emily, Michael, David, Leanne, Matthew and Ryan.
Visitation will be at Frank Halpin's Brookdale Funeral Home, 1284 Broad Street, Bloomfield on Friday from 4 - 8 pm. The funeral will be conducted from the funeral home on Saturday at 9:00 am followed by the Funeral Liturgy in St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 60 Byrd Avenue, Bloomfield at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 225 Ridgedale Ave, East Hanover.
In lieu of flowers donations, please make memorial donations to the Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box.758517, Topeka KS 66675 (www.woundedwarriorproject.org)
Please visit www.halpinfh.com for directions and condolence messages.
