Jerry Bob O’Dell was born June 27, 1936 to Thomas Robin O’Dell and Vibe Mae Floyd O’Dell in Mineral Springs (Howard County), Ark. His parents were both schoolteachers and his father also worked as a school superintendent. Jerry himself taught math and science for 25 years but before and during that he also worked at other jobs when he first moved to Little Rock, he took a job loading and unloading truckloads of ceramic tile. Soon he was transferred to the chemistry lab and then the position of factory manager, a job which he held until the factory closed. Then he went to work full time at Dillard’s department store and later worked part time at other retail stores while teaching school. He also worked at several church jobs (Sunday school teacher for the college and career class, the men’s class and Sunday superintendent at Liberty Missionary Baptist Church and teacher for two different Sunday school classes at Unity MB) he has suffered greatly these last 8 months from many ailments but his suffering came to an end Aug. 30, 2020 at 10:18 p.m. He was an only child and was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors are his wife of 61 and 2/3 years, Redya M. Lamb and daughter, Robin Ann O’Dell; son, David Lyndon O’Dell; and two grandsons, Joshua Brian O’Dell and Daniel Josiah O’Dell. Because of covid-19, a small family service was held at Pinecrest Cemetery Saturday Sept. 5 starting at 2 p.m.
