James Eugene Odom

James Eugene (Gene) Odom, 96, died Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022 in Granbury. Mr. Odom was born Nov. 13, 1925 near Lipan in Palo Pinto county. He married Naomi Faye Wright on Sept. 1, 1945 in Santo. 

He was preceded in death by wife Naomi, his parents, J.L. and Cedric Odom, his sister, Wynell Erwin and great grandbaby, John Edwin Herring. 

Gene graduated from Santo High School in 1941 and was drafted into the US Navy in Jan. 1942. Yeoman Second Class Odom proudly served on the USS Hyperion in the South Pacific. After the war, he began working for Northern Natural Gas. His career spanned 38 years, retiring as a district manager in Pampa, TX. He and Naomi spent their retirement living on the family farm in the Live Oak community of Palo Pinto County and traveling throughout the US in their RV. On March 29, 2003, he married Billie Nell Chastain. They enjoyed almost 19 years of marriage, moving to Waterview Retirement Community in Granbury in 2018. They were members of Santo Church of Christ. In July 2017, US military historian and journalist Andrew Fancher traveled to the Odom Farm to interview Gene. He recorded Gene’s stories of his service in the South Pacific, many of which the family had never heard. In October of the same year, Gene was honored by the Gary Sinise Foundation with a visit to the WWII Museum in New Orleans. To see Gene’s on camera interview of his service in the South Pacific and his visit to the museum, visit the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szr98j-gn18.

Gene was known for his great stories, both oral and written. His favorites were of his childhood, but he loved to share many vivid memories from every era of his life. He will be greatly missed by the many friends and family members that loved him dearly.

Survivors: His wife, Billie Odom of Granbury; daughters, Deborah Dunaway (Doyle) of Ruidoso, NM; Carla Murawski (Ron) of Granbury; sister, Carolyn McCarty of Weatherford; grandchildren, Stephanie Brown (Rob), Jason Ferrell, Catherine Deist (Eric), Emily Herring (John); great grandchildren, Chaz Ferrell (Peyton); Holden Brown; Naomi and Mia Deist; and Samuel, Oliver, Wynn and Avery Herring; and many nieces and nephews.