Joseph Bernie O'Dell

He was an education administrator.

Survivors include his wife, Susanne.

Memorial contributions to HopeWest, 3090B N. 12th St., Grand Junction 81506.

Joseph Bernie O'Dell

June 6, 1935 - August 17, 2016

Joseph Bernie O'Dell passed away on August 17, 2016, with his wife, Susi, at his side.

Joseph, the son of Ben and Bernice O'Dell was born on June 6, 1935, in Colorado Springs, CO. His early years were spent in the Victor/Cripple Creek, Colorado area where his sister, Patricia, and his uncle, Dint Nelson were his best pals. The family moved to Grand Junction, where Joseph attended school through Mesa Junior College. Prior to entering Mesa College, Joseph served in the US Army and his primary post was Okinawa, Japan. While attending Mesa College, he met Donna Pat Bolotin, his wife of more than 50 years. There he also became friends with Donna's friend, Susanne Strohmeier, and was reunited with his childhood friend, Bruce Carson.

Joseph finished his college education at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado regularly making the dean's list and earning a degree in education. Following college, Joe and Donna Pat moved to Stockton, CA, and he joined the Lincoln Unified School District. Over several years, he worked at Lincoln High School as a teacher, counselor and administrator. In those roles, he had a significant and positive impact on the school community. In later years, dozens (if not hundreds) of students approached Joe to say ""Hi Mr. O'Dell, do you remember me?"" Almost always Joe could dredge up a name or a bit of information that assured the former students that Mr. O'Dell did indeed remember them as they walked away with a smile. Eventually Joe moved on to the San Joaquin County Office of Education where he became director of community schools and scholarship programs. Whether you needed thoughtful advice, a sympathetic ear or specific help, Joe O'Dell was there. In quasi-retirement, Joe accepted a contract with the California State Teacher's Retirement Office to provide counseling to retiring educators. In this role, he generated a new following of admirers as he assisted hundreds of pending retirees to make thoughtful decisions that would affect them for the rest of their lives. As a friend, a mentor, a colleague, you could find no better.

Joseph enjoyed sailing most often in the company of his dearest friend, Roger Reimer. Together they wreaked serious havoc upon several (Golden Gate Bridge) South Tower sailing races. While Roger and Joseph were great companions and good sailors they did on occasion have to float in on the tide and get themselves unstuck after running aground. These untimely events presented Joe and Roger with plenty of time to solve the world's problems, drink some warm beer and eat too many Hershey's chocolate almond bars. Despite their occasional sailing misadventures, Roger and Joe remained best friends forever.

Joseph was a dear friend to his sister, Patricia, and her husband, Gilbert Carpenter, and relished his time with them and his four nieces, Kelly Capenter, Paula (Doug) Carpenter Cook, Maggie (Lizard) Carpenter Dorris, and Becca (Mick) Carpenter Fowler, and nephew, Stephen Carpenter. He had a profound influence on this nieces, and nephew with whom he was a faithful friend and mentor. He showed them and everyone around him the value of approaching life with a smile, a twinkle in your eye, a good vocabulary, a quick wit, an amazing sense of humor and one's responsibility to treat others with respect and kindness, to which principles Joseph remained true until his very last breath.

His grand-nieces, Ellee Grace Cook and Caitlin (John) Craft Dupuis, adored their ""Uncle Joe"" and he adored them and his grand-nephew, Matthew Craft.

In 2006, Joe lost his wife, Donna Pat, to a long illness. For several years, he stayed in Stockton and continued counseling retirees. While doing so, he and Susi Carson of Lakewood, CO, his Mesa College friend, whose husband, Bruce, had passed away, rekindled their college friendship and then married October 5, 2009. After his marriage to Susi, Joe returned to his Colorado roots by moving to Lakewood. In 2012, Joe was diagnosed with Parkinsons and Lew Body Body Dementia. Eventually he and Susi moved to Grand Junction - where both Joe and Susi had grown up. In those later Colorado years, Joseph once again became a friend and mentor, this time to Susi's children, Debi Carson Youngerman, Scott (Marilyn) Carson and their children, Christian, Emily, Riley, and Tess, and Matthew Carson and his daughter, Lily.

Memorials will be private.

Donations may be made to HopeWest Hospice.

Published in The Daily Sentinel on Aug. 28, 2016.

We would like to express our gratitude for the care given to Joe O'Dell and his family during these past two years. Our journey was blessed with the help of these exceptional caregivers in Grand Junction: Hilltop Health Services; Western Medical Associates; Community Hospital; Mantey Heights; Hospice/Hope West and the GJ Fire Department. The Joseph O'Dell family