John "J.W." William Odom Sr.

John "J.W." William Odom Sr., 91, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 22, 2026. He was born on January 4, 1935, in Liberty, Missouri to Lloyd and Ruth (Button) Odom. He was the ninth of 12 siblings. He was member of the Liberty High School graduating class of 1954.

After his graduation he joined the United States Air Force where he was stationed in Victoria, Texas. After his time in the Air Force, he returned to the Kansas City area and worked to receive an Associate Degree in Business from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He married Helen Marie Sellegren in 1960. She preceded him in death in 2024 just before their 65th wedding anniversary. J. W. worked for United States Postal Service for 38 years. He is survived by 2 sisters, Judy Odom and Trudy Odom of Hadden Heights, New Jersey. Two sons, John who resides in Liberty, Missouri, his wife Jeannie and 2 grand-children Hayley and Hannah, and Richard who resides in Prattville, Alabama, his wife Angela and 4 children Brittney (Hatcher) Worthy, Brooke (Dylan) Stanley, Blaire Landry, and Bennett Landry. And one great grandson, Lucas Stanley.

J.W. and Helen retired in Gladstone, Missouri, followed by a move to Liberty. During retirement, he worked for the Kansas City Auto Auction. He was a loving family man and enjoyed helping raise his granddaughters, snow skiing, playing cards and dominos with friends and was a loyal Kansas City Chief’s Fan. He was a devout Christian and an active member of the Pleasant Valley Baptist Church.

The family will be holding a Celebration of Life Gathering at a future date to remember and honor J.W.’s life and memory. His ashes will be returned to the earth on the family farm next to his wife Helen near Chanute, Kansas.