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June 13, 2018Joseph Daniel Odenweller
1926 - 2018Joseph Daniel Odenweller 91 years old, was a devoted
husband to Lois, loving father to Laura (Alan Holochwost); Linda (David Perry); Joe (Fae); Sharon (Charles Gillam); Mary (Jack Roberts); Richard (Kathe); Charles; Robert (Terri); and Jeffrey (John Phillabaum). He passed away in his home in Oro Valley, Arizona, on the 8th of June, 2018.
Joe was born on October 4, 1926 in Delphos, Ohio to parents Louis and Ella Odenweller. He married Lois on June 19, 1948. They lived in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Venice, Florida; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana before moving to Arizona.
During WW II he served in the 3 rd fleet on the destroyer USS Stockham. His ship escorted the
Battleship Missouri into Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender. Joe was also a builder, starting his life-long love by building model airplanes. The next build was a large cabin in northern Michigan. This was quite an accomplishment as he had never built anything but a doghouse before.
Joe earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Detroit. He also attended Detroit College of Law, which is now part of Michigan State University. He worked at Ethyl Corporation, where he started as a chemist, and he continued on to concurrently attend law school and build a large family. The family photo with 9 children was front page news in the Oakland Press, where he passed the Bar Exam while still working full time as a chemist. Joe practiced law as a patent attorney for many years until retirement. In addition to their nine children, Joe and Lois also have 18 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A loyal friend to many, Joe was generous and kind hearted. He will be missed by his family and many friends.
Visitation will be on Friday, June 15, 2018 from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM at Vistoso Funeral Home, 2285 E, Rancho Vistoso Blvd. Oro Valley, AZ 85755. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, June 16 th at 10:00 AM at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, 2727 W. Tangerine Road, Oro Valley.
