John Albert Odom, Jr., MD "Jack"

Jack was born on June 24,1934, in Cookeville, Tennessee, to John and Callie Odom. Jack spent much of his childhood exploring the Great Smoky Mountains, close to where his father worked as an agricultural researcher for the University of Tennessee. Jack credits his experience raising livestock on his family farm and participating with his father on “hog-killing day” with sparking his interest in anatomy and subsequently choosing surgery as his profession. He obtained his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Tennessee in Memphis and completed his surgical training at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and at Tufts University and Shriners Hospitals in Boston.

After completing his training in general surgery and orthopedics, Jack joined the Lakewood Orthopedic Clinic in 1969. He practiced general orthopedics for a decade and then specialized in spine surgery, founding the first spine practice in Colorado. Many grateful patients whose spine curvatures he surgically corrected, including two under-resourced patients from abroad for whom he provided pro-bono surgery, kept in touch with him for decades. He was a long-standing member of the Scoliosis Research Society, began an annual educational conference for nurses who cared for spine surgery patients, initiated a sought-after Spine Surgery Fellowship, and with a colleague began the Spine Surgery Program at SkyRidge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colorado.

Jack was a devoted father and delighted in accompanying his older children on ski trips, especially with the Children’s Hospital Amputee Ski Program, and later his younger sons on Scouting ventures, including canoeing in the Minnesota Boundary Waters and hikes at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. He initiated a “Merit Badge Academy” to educate Scouts and help them obtain merit badges.

In 1997, Jack received the Scout Silver Beaver award, which is the highest honor a local Council can bestow on a volunteer. In 2013, Jack was awarded the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, which recognizes Eagle Scouts who have inspired others through their positive actions and devotion to their profession, avocation, community, and beliefs.

Jack also had a deep interest in history, classical music, and working on his gentleman’s farm in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, where he planted abundant trees of many varieties, gardened, and in 1999 commissioned the building of a large barn on the farm property by an Amish group of builders from Indiana. Friends and family will always remember many buggy rides and summer square dances he loved to host at that barn. The barn and farm property were also made available to hundreds of Scouts, many of whom were from underserved communities, for day camps, troop campouts, and weekend events.

You can view a collage of photos depicting many aspects of Jack's life at the following link and selecting the 4-box grid icon if not already selected: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_xR7Q8ULJXb6DoiRN1srsIKdLQa_YTwH?usp=drive_link

A Memorial Service celebrating Jack's life will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Please see below for additional details regarding the Service and Reception.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alzheimer's Association, Colorado Chapter, www.ALZ.org/CO, 455 N Sherman St, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80203

Colorado Public Radio Education and Health Reporting, https://www.cpr.org/support/, PO Box 17429, Denver, CO 80217