Claude McCurtis Odom III

Claude accepted Christ at an early age where he attended Yorktown Baptist Church and Big Zion AME Church in Mobile, Alabama.

In 1967 Claude, along with his family re-located to Sacramento, CA and settled in Lincoln Village where he attended Albert Einstein Junior High. He and his family worshipped at Lincoln Village Baptist Church and later, Shiloh Baptist Church.

Claude attended Hiram W. Johnson Sr. High where he was an exceptional student and athlete. He excelled in mathematics and social studies. He was an active member of the Black Student Union and was an outstanding football player who wore the number "24" proudly.

After high school he studied at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo majoring in Computer Science. After a couple of years at Cal Poly, Claude returned to Sacramento where he and a few friends formed a small but extremely talented band called "Revolution". They practiced either in a neighbor's garage or back yard every week. Later, he played in another band called "Cross Town Traffic". Claude was an excellent saxophone player and he could sing and dance too. The last band he played with was called "Family Reunion". They had great success as a small town band. They performed in many clubs and especially the Army and Air Force bases in the Central Valley. The band was very popular among the people because they weren't just a band. They were performers, changing into different outfits between sets just to "wow" their audiences.

In 1978 Claude married Kimberlee Williams and in February 1985 they welcomed into their home a four month old baby and named him Aaron. Being a father was most important to Claude. He worked many jobs (mostly managerial) such as Thrifty Drugs, K B Toys, Mervyns and the U.S. Postal Service as a Rural Carrier.

In 1991 Claude was called to the ministry to preach the gospel at Antioch Progressive Baptist Church under the tutelage of Dr. Curtis J. Mitchell. He was also taking correspondence courses at Trinity Theological Seminary. His grades reflected his commitment to God and ministry. He received A's on almost every paper that he turned in. Claude's knowledge of the bible and his ability to preach the gospel touched many lives at Antioch Progressive. Many times he was asked to preach at other churches where he was well received.

Claude loved his family and was extremely proud and supportive of Aaron. He was at every youth football game he played as well as Aaron's high school games. During the latter years Claude and Aaron were both high school football referees and did have an opportunity to officiate on the field together. That was a proud moment for Claude. He and Aaron enjoyed attending The Sacramento Kings games and spent Father's Day, birthdays and holidays together. Their bond was very strong as father and son. Claude and his father, Rev. Claude M. Odom Jr. baptized Aaron together. He also officiated at Aaron's wedding in 2022.

He often took his family to his favorite beach for fun and relaxation. He also enjoyed driving down the coast highway while listening to jazz music which he loved. Going to Yosemite National Park was another favorite because he truly enjoyed the beauty of nature.

Claude was also a wonderful uncle, especially to his great-niece. When it was father-daughter day at her preschool, he represented her father while she fed him apple pie. He also baby sat her for awhile until she decided to take a "bite" out of him. That ended his baby sitting days.

In December 2015, Claude married Michelle Pembrook. Together, they attended Good Samaritan Cathedral Church of God in Christ in Oakland, CA. He taught the men's Sunday school at times and did preach on occasion. He loved attending Good Samaritan and the teachings of Bishop Murray. He and Michelle enjoyed going to Morro Bay, Yosemite and jazz festivals in Napa, CA.

Claude resided in Oakland, CA until his passing. He was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Vivian Odom.

Claude leaves to mourn his passing; son, Aaron (Keshia), sister, Ardyce Johnson (Cedric), brother, Keith (Beverly) and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.

On Facebook, Claude always displayed a picture of nature and would say "Trust God and Do Good". Let us all remember those words of wisdom and apply them daily. That's what he would like.

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