Harry Odell

Harry Dennis Odell, born to Harry Dimmitt Odell, Jr. and Barbara Jean Lucas Odell on March 25, 1955 in Baytown, Texas, entered his eternal home on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. He was preceded in death by his mother Barbara, and is survived by his wife, Brenda Sturrock Odell, his father Harry, sisters Belinda Basaldu, Debbie Russell, and Suzanne Tisdale, brothers-in-law Phillip Basaldu and John Tisdale, and numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

He was a French horn player in the famous Robert E. Lee band and was lovingly given the nickname "Digger" by his band director Charles Forque and many bandmates. Graduating from high school in 1973, Dennis attended Lee College and Sam Houston State University, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in music from the University of Texas at Dallas. After teaching high school and junior high band in Garland, Dennis moved back to the Baytown area in 1981 where he met his permanent accompanist, Brenda Sturrock, and married her in 1982. He taught elementary music and private French horn in the Baytown/Houston area since 1982, and recently began a new career in sales and service support at Weir Seaboard in Houston. Dennis was also an adjunct instructor in French horn at Lee College. He earned his Master's degree in Instructional Technology from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 2005.

Dennis enjoyed riding his BMW R1200RT motorcycle, especially with Brenda, playing in the Bay Brass Quintet, Baytown Concert Band and Baytown Symphony, digital photography, sound and video recording, cooking, gardening, and playing with his three cats. He will be best remembered for his amazing musical talents, extreme intelligence, his kind and caring personality, an unfailing positive attitude, and a never-ending supply of bear hugs and humor.

A memorial service for Dennis will be held on Tuesday, August 6 at 4:00 p.m. at Faith Presbyterian Church, 3900 N. Main, Baytown with Rev. Dr. Jim Gill officiating. In lieu of flower contributions, the family requests that donations in any amount be made to a music scholarship fund in Dennis' name at Lee College Foundation, c/o Pam Warford, P.O. Box 818, Baytown, TX 77520-0818. Contributions to this fund can also be made online at www.lee.edu Be sure to designate "Dennis Odell" in the description area.