O Dea

On February 8, 2003, GLORIA J. (nee Gill), beloved wife of Kenneth G. O'Dea Jr; daughter of Mary L. Woodruff Hevey-Gill and the late William J. Gill, beloved mother of Amber Nappier, Lauren O'Dea and Kenneth O'Dea III; beloved sister of Joann Franklin, W. Michael Gill, W. Barry Gill. Also survived by five grandchildren. Services at the Eline Funeral Home 11824 Reisterstown Rd, Reisterstown, MD 21136, Tuesday at 6:30 P.M. Interment private. Friends may call Tuesday 5 to 6:30 at the funeral home.

Suddenly on November 26, 2005, JAMES L. "Jimmy" BAILEY II; beloved husband of Karen Lee Bailey; loving father of James III and Erin Nicole Bailey; Pop Pop of Christopher Lee Bailey; devoted son of James and Patricia Bailey; cherished brother of Catherine O'Dea, Lisa Bailey and Janet Kuhn; dear brother-in-law of Thomas O'Dea and John Kuhn; loving uncle of many nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends may call at the family owned AMBROSE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 1328 Sulphur Spring Road, Arbutus, on Wednesday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday at 10 A.M. at Our Lady of Victory Catholic.

On January 29, 2004 F. GAIL O'DEA (nee Simmons) beloved wife of Thomas J. O'Dea, Sr.; loving mother of Thomas Jr., Denise Gail, Timothy and Katherine; loving mother-in-law of Catherine and Cheryl; loving grandmother of Thomas III, Catherine Jo, Melissa, Sara, Timothy, Daniel, Stephanie, Celine, Sean, Katherine Gail and the late Theresa; loving great-grandmother of Thomas IV; beloved sister of Donna, Junior and James. Friends may call at the HUBBARD FUNERAL HOME, INC., 4107 Wilkens Avenue on Saturday from 6 to 9 and Sunday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Augustine Catholic Church, 5976 Old Washington Road, Elkridge.

On May 10, 2005, ISAAC J. JONES, beloved husband of Elfrieda(nee Gartside); devoted father of Jennifer Brill, Iris J. O'Dea and Matthew R. Jones; loving grandfather of Andrew D. Brill, Julia J. Miller, Margaret E. Brill and Russell W. O'Dea; also survived by four great-granddaughters. Funeral Services at the Connelly Funeral Home of Essex, 300 Mace Ave, Thursday 7 P.M. Visiting hours Thursday 4 to 8 P.M. Interment private.

On February 21, 2005, LEO A. O'DEA, JR., of Baltimore; beloved husband of Muriel Piquett O'Dea; loving father of Sharon Miller, Kathleen O'Dea, Colleen Cox and Leo A. O'Dea, III; dear brother of Madeline Murphy, Thomas O'Dea and Patrick O'Dea. Also survived by seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Visitation Wednesday and Thursday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 at the Barranco & Sons P.A. Severna Park Funeral Home, Ritchie Highway at Robinson Road. Service 8 P.M., Thursday at the above funeral home.

On April 10, 2003 RICHARD H. O'DEA, JR. beloved husband of Iris J. O'Dea (nee Jones); devoted father of Richelle H. Gallagher, Richard H. O'Dea III, Julia J. Miller and Russell W. O'Dea; brother to Kenneth and Thomas P. O'Dea and Cecilia Piaskowski. Also survived by grandchildren Nicholas and Keegan Gallagher, Ryan and Sean O'Dea and Jade and Amber Miller. Funeral services at the Connelly Funeral Home of Essex, 300 Mace Avenue on Saturday at 6 p.m. Interment private. Visiting hours on Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Chesapeake Down Syndrome Parents Group, Inc., 604 Worcester Road, Towson, MD 21286-7833 or Essex United Methodist Church, 524 Maryland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21221-2618.

LAUREL -- Lynda O'Dea has resigned from her day-to-day position as marketing director at Laurel and Pimlico race courses to start her own consulting business, track president Joe De Francis announced yesterday.O'Dea, who has worked at the tracks since 1984, will retain a working relationship with both tracks. She has been given the title "vice president and consultant."De Francis also announced the appointment of Tim Capps as vice president of racing and public relations. Capps, former editor of Thoroughbred Record magazine, now defunct, leaves his position as vice president at Matchmaker Services.

The Rev. George Francis O'Dea, a former chaplain of St. Joseph Hospital who received a medal from Pope John Paul II in 1990 for his contributions to the Roman Catholic Church, died Thursday of respiratory failure at St. Joseph Manor in Baltimore. He was 85.As superior general of the Josephite Order, Father O'Dea purchased the property where the St. Joseph Manor retirement home was built. The Rev. Robert M. Kearns, the order's current superior general, said one of Father O'Dea's joys was spending his final days in the comfort and beauty of the home.

Lynda O'Dea made her reputation in sports marketing as the "Queen of the Sports Palaces" at Maryland's thoroughbred racetracks and for throwing elaborate and fun parties at the state's big horse races.She has had waiters on roller skates and dinner for 1,000 people on a Norweigian cruise ship. And she has used Baltimore backdrops from the Dundalk Marine Terminal to the Peabody Conservatory as props for her racetrack entertaining.But since the death of her mentor and companion, Frank De Francis, three years ago, she has kept a low profile at the track, serving mostly as a social consultant, coordinating such events as the tented village in the infield for the Preakness and Maryland Million and activities for the International Turf Festival.

Appearances deceive.Look at Lynda O'Dea and it's easy to see only the glamour. The long blond hair falling softly around her shoulders. The diamond ring sparkling on her right hand. The stride as graceful as any prize thoroughbred's.To some degree, that's been Ms. O'Dea's forte over the last five years -- selling the glamour and excitement of Maryland horse racing. As vice president of marketing at Laurel and Pimlico race courses, she created glorious casinolike Sports Palaces, surrounded races with lavish special events and polished up the image of the Preakness by introducing a now legendary lawn party for corporate high rollers.

Suddenly on February 27, 2005, TODD MICHAEL STEPHENS, beloved husband of Katherine L. (nee Deinlein); devoted father of Samuel James Stephens, Benjamin Roland Stephens and Abigail Jane Stephens; devoted son of Kenneth Stephens (Dixon, CA) and Sharon Warner (Tell City, IN); stepson of Judy O'Dea (Dixon, CA); and brother of Kelly, Eric, and Lance Stephens and Daniel and Neal Warner. Visiting at the E.F. Lassahn Funeral Home, P.A., 11750 Belair Road (Kingsville) on Thursday and Friday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. Funeral services will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church on Saturday at 11 A.M. Interment Highview Memorial Gardens.

On February 21, 2005, LEO A. O'DEA, JR., of Baltimore; beloved husband of Muriel Piquett O'Dea; loving father of Sharon Miller, Kathleen O'Dea, Colleen Cox and Leo A. O'Dea, III; dear brother of Madeline Murphy, Thomas O'Dea and Patrick O'Dea. Also survived by seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Visitation Wednesday and Thursday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 at the Barranco & Sons P.A. Severna Park Funeral Home, Ritchie Highway at Robinson Road. Service 8 P.M., Thursday at the above funeral home.

On January 29, 2004 F. GAIL O'DEA (nee Simmons) beloved wife of Thomas J. O'Dea, Sr.; loving mother of Thomas Jr., Denise Gail, Timothy and Katherine; loving mother-in-law of Catherine and Cheryl; loving grandmother of Thomas III, Catherine Jo, Melissa, Sara, Timothy, Daniel, Stephanie, Celine, Sean, Katherine Gail and the late Theresa; loving great-grandmother of Thomas IV; beloved sister of Donna, Junior and James. Friends may call at the HUBBARD FUNERAL HOME, INC., 4107 Wilkens Avenue on Saturday from 6 to 9 and Sunday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Augustine Catholic Church, 5976 Old Washington Road, Elkridge.

On April 10, 2003 RICHARD H. O'DEA, JR. beloved husband of Iris J. O'Dea (nee Jones); devoted father of Richelle H. Gallagher, Richard H. O'Dea III, Julia J. Miller and Russell W. O'Dea; brother to Kenneth and Thomas P. O'Dea and Cecilia Piaskowski. Also survived by grandchildren Nicholas and Keegan Gallagher, Ryan and Sean O'Dea and Jade and Amber Miller. Funeral services at the Connelly Funeral Home of Essex, 300 Mace Avenue on Saturday at 6 p.m. Interment private. Visiting hours on Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Chesapeake Down Syndrome Parents Group, Inc., 604 Worcester Road, Towson, MD 21286-7833 or Essex United Methodist Church, 524 Maryland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21221-2618.

On February 8, 2003, GLORIA J. (nee Gill), beloved wife of Kenneth G. O'Dea Jr; daughter of Mary L. Woodruff Hevey-Gill and the late William J. Gill, beloved mother of Amber Nappier, Lauren O'Dea and Kenneth O'Dea III; beloved sister of Joann Franklin, W. Michael Gill, W. Barry Gill. Also survived by five grandchildren. Services at the Eline Funeral Home 11824 Reisterstown Rd, Reisterstown, MD 21136, Tuesday at 6:30 P.M. Interment private. Friends may call Tuesday 5 to 6:30 at the funeral home.

The Rev. George Francis O'Dea, a former chaplain of St. Joseph Hospital who received a medal from Pope John Paul II in 1990 for his contributions to the Roman Catholic Church, died Thursday of respiratory failure at St. Joseph Manor in Baltimore. He was 85.As superior general of the Josephite Order, Father O'Dea purchased the property where the St. Joseph Manor retirement home was built. The Rev. Robert M. Kearns, the order's current superior general, said one of Father O'Dea's joys was spending his final days in the comfort and beauty of the home.

IF WE ARE KNOWN by the company we keep, Lynda O'Dea is well-known indeed. That was evident last Thursday when hundreds of prominent Baltimoreans arrived at the Hyatt Regency for a tribute to her which benefited the Maryland Lupus Foundation. For many of the guests, all they needed was yet another dinner to attend, but they were there because of their association with and affection for O'Dea. Can you imagine the social schedule of a Jim McKay or Lt. Gov. Mickey Steinberg?Janet Bouton of the Lupus foundation said it best when describing what O'Dea's involvement with lupus had done for them.

Marie Elizabeth O'Dea loved a parade. So she founded Catonsville's Fourth of July parade in 1947 as a way to keep families safe and close to home on the busy holiday.The retired newspaper editor and chemist never missed seeing what now is one of Maryland's best-known Independence Day celebrations. Last year, she was an honorary grand marshal of the event that drew an estimated 50,000 spectators.Miss O'Dea, who was 96, died of pneumonia Thursday at St. Martin's Home for the Aged in Catonsville, where she had lived for 10 years.