Thomas O'Dea

Thomas O’Dea passed away at home on March 6, 2025 at the age of 75.

Tom was born on October 14, 1949 to William G. And Violet (Sperry) O’Dea in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He grew up in Maple Lake, New Prague, and Austin Minnesota, where he graduated from high school in 1967.

He went on to enlist in the United States Marines Corps, where he served on the USS Iwo Jima in a deployment to Turkey and Italy and then served in Vietnam as an aircraft radio repairman in Da Nang. During his time in the service, he achieved the rank of sergeant and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Rifle Expert Badge. Tom also credited his formidable chess and poker skills to his time as a Marine.

Following his service to his country, Tom continued to work with radio equipment at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was proud to use his technology skills to help develop the electronics and communications systems for military aircraft, including Air Force One.

He received an associate’s degree from Kirkwood Community College and a bachelor of science degree in computer science from Minnesota State University Mankato. He put his coding skills to good use in his decades of work for the State of Minnesota. As a dedicated public servant, he developed software that prevented fraud in the state’s unemployment and workers’ compensation systems.

Tom was happiest when he was outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman. He shared his love of nature with his family on many camping trips and days out on the lake fishing in his trusty bass boat. Never one to be considered a fair-weather outdoorsman, he relished spending time in nature rain or shine.

While Tom was always very proud of being a Marine, his time in the service also impacted his health. He was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam and toxic drinking water at Camp LeJeune, which resulted in many medical issues in his later years. He also struggled with serious mental illness. His family is forever grateful to the dedicated healthcare workers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who cared for Tom, as well as the home health aids from Brightstar Nursing. The exceptional medical care Tom received allowed him to die in his own home, per his wishes.

Tom is survived by his brother Michael O’Dea, his sister Alice Mohn, his brother-in-law Dan Mohn, his niece Kate Mohn and his nephew Alec Mohn. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John O’Dea. A memorial service will be held on March 25 at 1:00 p.m. at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.