John T. Odell

Age 95 of Lansing, MI, John T. Odell went to his heavenly home on March 30, 2023. He was born on Sept 30, 1927 to Berneth and Helen (Abernathy) Odell in Ostego, MI. He spent his early years in Indiana but moved back to Michigan and graduated from Charlotte High School. At 17, John was compelled to serve his country in WWII and enlisted with the Maritime Merchant Marines. He served as a cook on a US Navy ship delivering supplies to troops in Africa. His love of cooking and enjoying worldwide cuisine lasted a lifetime. John married Edith Ricker (pre-deceased) and they had three children Rick, Ren, and Randy (pre-deceased). John completed business college courses and had several jobs in the private sector before joining the Office of the Auditor General of the State of Michigan (SOM) in April 1965. He was the Supervisor of the Office Services Section and he ensured that the Auditor General reports and publications were on the cutting edge of printing technology and had the utmost professional presentation. John married Tok Cha (Kim) on Sept 12,1986 and became an amazing step-father to her two daughters. His love and support for them and his grandchildren were his priority, and he shared so much of his time, talent and knowledge with them. John retired from the SOM in 1999 but his excitement for learning and understanding new technology never abated. John loved to problem solve and build things using his creative skills; he was an engineer at heart. John had much love for art, singing and music, and he spoke often of his mother playing and teaching piano. He also spent a lot of time in his woodworking shop, landscaping his beautiful yard, and gardening. In his younger years, John enjoyed motorcycles with road trips across Michigan and the U.S. Anyone around John knew of his quick wit and good sense of humor that was accompanied by his hardy laugh. He was an optimistic person and always found the best in any situation and in the people around him.  John is survived by his wife of 38 years, Tok Cha; 2 step-daughters, Mary (Mark) Locher, Sarah (Rich) Hawes and 4 grand-children, Kate Locher, David Locher, Vincent Hawes and Dominick Hawes.

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at Hope Lutheran Church, 1180 W. Herbison Rd., DeWitt, where visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m.  Interment will follow in DeWitt Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to his church.