John L. Brady's Obituary
John L. Brady, age 81 of Lewes, DE, passed away on February 28, 2023, at Brandywine Assisted living in Rehoboth Beach, DE, from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. He was born on September 10, 1941, in Mankato, MN, son of the late I.C. and Frances M. Brady.
John joined his parents when they were assigned to the Agency for International Development in Kirkuk, Iraq. The Brady family was evacuated to Rome, Italy during the 1958 coup in Iraq, and there he finished his high school years at The Notre Dame Academy. At that point, John realized that the life for him was to be overseas. He studied foreign affairs at the Foreign Service School at Georgetown University. Following Georgetown, John entered the Officer Candidate program in the Navy and following that tour, he worked for two years at the Defense Intelligence Agency. In 1967, he joined the CIA. John’s first assignment was in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which led him to study Arabic in Beirut, Lebanon. It was in Beirut where John his wife, Kathleen O’Donnell, a native of New York, where she had been back-packing. After meeting John, she arranged to join the first group of Peace Corp volunteers in Sanaa, Yemen. They were married in Yemen on the lawn of the embassy in Sanaa. John spent 35 years as a case officer working mainly in the Middle East as Chief of Station in Ankara, Khartoum, Damascus, and Yemen. He also, served in Mumbai, India, and Bonn, Germany. He retired from the CIA in 2011, but continued to work in a contract capacity.
John is survived by his wife Kathleen, of Lewes, DE; his son, Colin Brady of Virginia Beach, VA; his daughter, Caroline Brady of Fort Lauderdale, FL; his brother, Tom Brady of Jacksonville, FL; his sister, Colleen Brady of Miami, FL; his niece, nephews, and great-nephews.
A Brunch will be held on March 6, 2023, at 11:30 AM, at Lewes Yacht Club, at 2701 Cedar Street, Lewes, DE, and all who knew John are invited. We understand that Lewes, Delaware is a distant location for some, and this is very short notice. We know your thoughts are always with us.
Please RSVP to Kathleen if you can attend.
Please sign the virtual guestbook located on the tribute page.
FLORIST NOTE: PLEASE DELIVER ALL ARRANGEMENTS DIRECTLY TO THE FAMILY.
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