James "Jim" Edward Odom III

Jim was born in Windsor, NC, September 20, 1942, to Janice Askew Odom and James Edward Odom, Jr. His father was killed in a plane crash over the Alps during World War II, and his mother later married James Dunning Mitchell, whose work with Nestlé took the family to Raleigh, NC, where Jim attended school through his sophomore year in high school.

After the family was transferred to Dallas, TX, he completed high school at Thomas Jefferson High School, then attended North Texas State University. He spent his career in retail sales in Denton and Fort Worth, TX, and Las Vegas, NM, where he was director of the University Bookstore and post office at New Mexico Highlands University.

He and his wife, Janice Belknap Odom, who he married in 1963, also lived at various times in Fort Worth, McAllen, Edinburg, San Antonio, Pearsall and Kerrville, TX, before moving to Corpus Christi in 2025 to be near family.

Jim is survived by his wife of 62 years, Janice; son James E. Odom IV (Sharon Zuniga) of Indian Land, SC; granddaughter Lola Elizabeth Odom of Fair Oaks Ranch, TX; brother Douglas Carlyle Odom (Leigh) of Cambria, CA; nephews Scott Odom (Yolanda) and Steve Odom (Marnie); aunt Jane Askew Werner; and several cousins and nieces.

Jim’s cremation will be entrusted to the Neptune Society with his ashes to be scattered at sea near his beloved Nags Head in North Carolina. A private gathering of friends and family will be held at a later date.