Dr. John Joseph O’Dea, 67, formerly of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018, at Luther Haven in Montevideo, Minnesota.

John was born on July 1, 1951, to William and Violet (Sperry) O’Dea in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He grew up in Maple Lake, Minnesota, New Prague, Minnesota, and Austin. John graduated from Austin High School in 1969.

John was born with a natural sense of curiosity about the world, which he channeled into a lifelong pursuit of scholarship and scientific discovery. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Lawrence University, a master’s degree at Wesleyan University and was awarded his doctorate of philosophy in chemistry from Colorado State University.

John worked as a research chemist, specializing in electrochemistry. While studying for his doctorate, he was instrumental in developing research applications using a process known as Square Wave electroanalysis. Much of his work was done in collaboration with his life-long friend and mentor, Dr. Robert Osteryoung. John continued his work with Dr. Osteryoung for decades to come in research labs at Colorado State University, the State University of New York at Buffalo, and North Carolina State University in Raleigh. In addition to his work in the chemistry lab, John also developed a software program to teach advanced trigonometry. His research has been cited in over 1,300 scholarly journal articles.

John retired in 2006 following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, but he continued to carry his passion for learning and discovery into his pastimes and travel. He enjoyed debating with friends and family, studying geology, reading nonfiction books and science journals, and traveling to historical sites and museums. An amateur astronomer, he owned multiple telescopes and spent many hours exploring the galaxy.

John is survived by his brothers, Michael O’Dea of Spokane, Washington, and Thomas O’Dea of St. Paul, Minnesota; sister, Alice (Dan) Mohn of Montevideo; niece, Catherine Mohn (Anni Bowers) of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and nephew, Alec Mohn of St. Paul. John was preceded in death by his parents, William and Violet O’Dea.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, at Wing-Bain Funeral Home in Montevideo. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Sunset Cemetery. Memorials are preferred to Chippewa County Food Shelf, P.O. Box 159 Montevideo, MN 56265. For an online guestbook, please visit www.wingbain.com.