John L. Brady, CIA retiree
John L. Brady, 81, of Lewes, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, at Brandywine Assisted Living in Rehoboth Beach from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. He was born on Sept. 10, 1941, in Mankato, Minn., 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 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 met his wife, Kathleen O’Donnell, a native of New York, where she had been backpacking. After meeting John, she arranged to join the first group of Peace Corps 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; his son, Colin Brady of Virginia Beach, Va.; his daughter, Caroline Brady of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; his brother, Tom Brady of Jacksonville, Fla.; his sister, Colleen Brady of Miami, Fla.; and his niece, nephews, and great-nephews.
A brunch will be held at 11:30 a.m., Monday, March 6, at Lewes Yacht Club, 2701 Cedar St., Lewes. All who knew John are invited. We understand that Lewes is a distant location for some and this is very short notice. We know your thoughts are always with us. RSVP to Kathleen if you can attend.
Final care has been entrusted to Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes.
Visit John’s Life Memorial webpage and sign his virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
