A former educator, Halifax deputy mayor and Nova Scotia Liberal cabinet minister has died.
Gerald (Gerry) O’Malley was 90 when he died at home in Halifax on Friday.
First elected in 1988 as the member of the legislature for Halifax Needham, Mr. O’Malley was in office for a decade, and became the minister of Supply and Services and then minister of Science and Technology under premier John Savage.
After Russell MacLellan succeeded Mr. Savage as premier, Mr. O’Malley was moved to the Labour portfolio, where he brought in safety training changes in the wake of the Westray mining disaster that resulted in 26 miners’ deaths.
He lost his seat during the 1998 election to NDP candidate Maureen MacDonald; he was one of several ministers who fell as the Liberals dropped to 19 seats, tied with the NDP.
Gerald Joseph Thomas O’Malley was born in the North End of Halifax on Nov. 25, 1927. He attended Saint Patrick’s High School and the Technical College of Nova Scotia, where he studied electronics.
He started his career as an electrician with Bryant Electric and taught electronics at the Halifax Regional Vocational School. He was the founding principal of the Dartmouth Regional Vocational School (later Nova Scotia Community College, Akerley Campus), while furthering his education at Saint Mary’s University, where he earned a BA, BEd and MA. Mr. O’Malley served as an alderman for the City of Halifax and also served a term as deputy mayor.
Mr. O’Malley leaves his wife of 65 years, Marie (Langan), four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Daniel and his first wife, Catherine.