James Brian Odom, 68, of El Dorado, died Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010 at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church, El Dorado. Visitation with the family will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Carlson Funeral Home, El Dorado. Interment will follow in Baxter Springs Cemetery.
Brian was born on Feb. 10, 1941 in Claremore, Okla., the son of James William and Opal Mary (Talley) Odom. He graduated from Caney High School in 1959 and received his BA degree in 1968 from Northwest Missouri State University. He received his Master’s Degree at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He was an industrial arts teacher for 28 years in the Shawnee Mission School District. After retiring, he still felt the need to work and accepted a job with the Kansas Turnpike as a toll collector. He worked for KTA for five years. Brian and his wife Billye lived in Overland Park from 1968 until 2006 when they moved to El Dorado. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he had served as a Trustee; he was very active in the Boy Scouts of America where he was a scout master for 10 years; a member of Honorary Organization in Scouting Mic-o-say; El Dorado Senior Ambassadors; Butler county Retired Teachers Organization; KNEA; and the After School Program at the Presbyterian Church. He was a staunch Kansas State football fan and loved to build and refinish furniture in his spare time.
On June 5, 1964 he was married to Billye Dungan in the First Christian Church in Baxter Springs, Kan.
Those he leaves including his wife of the home are: two sons and their wives, Doug and Alicia Odom of El Dorado and Greg and Tabitha Odom of Carlsbad, N.M.; a brother and his wife, Ron and Linda Odom of Kingwood, Texas; two step-grandchildren, Brant and Jaycie Hanson; an adopted grandchild; two nieces; one nephew; four great-nephews; and one great-niece. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials in his memory for the Youth Department at First Presbyterian Church may be left with Carlson Funeral Home, El Dorado, which is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences to the family can be sent to www.carlsoncolonial.com.
