William Darrell Odbert

March 25, 1926 – November 3, 2024

William (Bill) Odbert was born in Portland Oregon to Edward and Thelma Odbert. He enjoyed growing up in his southeast Portland neighborhood, playing with neighbor kids, participating in Boy Scout activities, and listening to music.

In high school, he had a real interest in his mechanical drafting class and running on the track team. He loved the jazz music of the day and started playing drums. Bill often got together in a jazz trio with his mother on piano and his uncle on saxophone and clarinet.

In the summer of 1944 at age 18, Bill entered the US Army to join the fight in WWII. He did basic training in Texas and Oklahoma before shipping off to join the liberation of the Philippines, where he stayed until his discharge in 1946.

Upon returning to the states, Bill enrolled in photography school, something his mother got him interested in when he was a youngster. Upon graduation, he apprenticed with some of Portland’s best photographers and portrait studios. Bill went on to become one of Portland’s best portrait photographers himself, working for Kennell-Ellis studios. He took the portraits of many of Portland’s dignitaries, Rose Festival princesses, celebrities and entertainers.

In Bill’s early 20s, he was smitten while on a blind date, and in 1949 married Maurine Clawson at Laurelwood Methodist church in Portland. They built a life in southeast Portland, raising four children: Susan, Nancie, Barry, and David.

After many years in the portrait studio, Bill went on to teach photography classes at Portland Community College for another 20 years while freelancing weddings and other photography assignments.

Bill loved the outdoors. Family vacations always involved tent camping, hiking, backpacking and fishing. With his father, Bill built 3 boats: two kayaks and a small ‘cabin cruiser’ motorboat. They rigged both kayaks with sails and spent countless hours on Oregon’s lakes and rivers. When Bill was in his 50s, he developed a passion for cross country skiing and spent many winter weekends exploring the trails around Mt Hood in Oregon.

Bill’s favorite places to relax included beachcombing on the Oregon coast and exploring fossil beds and ghost towns in eastern Oregon, often in the company of his Dad, Ed Odbert.

After retirement, Bill and Maurine moved to Sandy Oregon where they enjoyed small town amenities and a friendly retirement community. After a long hiatus, Bill resumed his pursuit of music, joining the Silvertones, playing at the Sandy Senior Center and other local venues, and also sitting in with jazz friends, including occasional Saturdays at ‘Jazzy Bagels’ in Gresham OR. His instrument of choice was always his beloved vintage Slingerland drums that he purchased in 1942 at age 16.

Bill moved to Fort Collins Colorado in 2019 to be near family. While there he met many new friends and enjoyed sharing his favorite portraits, attending music performances, and spending time with his family. He adored his 4 children, 6 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. Bill will be missed by all that knew and loved him.

Plans for a memorial are pending.