Dr. Lawrence Thomas Odland

Dr. Lawrence Thomas Odland (MS, M.D., and P.H.D.) Colonel USAF Retired, passed peacefully at Bethesda North Hospital on Feb. 4, 2019 in Cincinnati at the age of 97 and a half.

Dr. Odland is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth M. Odland Keister (Kevin); four grandchildren, Erin Smith, Bart Gutierrez (Cyndi), Elizabeth D. Odland Keister and Meredith K. Odland Keister; six great-grandchildren, Cole Gutierrez, Mateson Gutierrez (Ashley), Jessica Mitchell (James), Katie Sorem (Clay), Tony Smith and Andrew Smith; and six great-great-grandchildren. In his final year of life, Dr. Odland made a new best friend in Jeff Jackson and grew to love Jeff as a son​.

Dr. Odland was preceded in death by his daughter, Kathryn M. Bannister (Bobby), in 1994; and his wife of 63 years, Dorothy Marie Odland, in 2007.

Lawrence was born in St. Paul, Minn. to Elizabeth M. (Klein) and John Odland on July 20,1921.

His parents were farmers and he spent his early years working on the family the farm. At the age of 16, Lawrence enrolled in St. Thomas College in St. Paul majoring in biology. To pay for his tuition he trapped muskrats along the Mississippi River and worked on the Hastings Draw Bridge as night operator to raise and lower the bridge. At 18, he transferred to the University of Minnesota to major in ecology and wildlife management, and shortly after started a relationship with Dorothy Fredricksen, a family friend.

When World War II broke out, Lawrence enlisted in the Army and was called to active duty on Feb. 26, 1943. He went to basic training near St. Louis and while he was there he took aptitude exams which qualified him for College Training Detachment at Morehead State University in Morehead, Minn. On May 15, 1943, Dorothy and Lawrence eloped! His bunk mates at the barracks covered for him by putting blankets in his bunk so he would pass bed check.

Lawrence was transferred to several other locations before going to Oklahoma University to study civil engineering. It was at O.U. where he was selected for a special medical training program. He graduated from the University of Southern California with an M.D. in 1952, from Johns-Hopkins University with a Master's in Public Health in 1954, and received his P.H.D. from the University of Rochester, N.Y. in 1962. His specialty was radiation biology research. During his medical internship he was offered a commission to the Air Force.

During his Air Force career, Dr. Odland was stationed at 23 different bases including Komaki AFB in Nagoya, Japan. During his stay in the Far East, Dr. Odland traveled extensively to provide clinical administrative services to medical facilities operated by the USAF. He also spent six weeks in the jungles of Borneo on a classified humanitarian mission. Dr. Odland was awarded the rating of Senior Flight Surgeon in 1962 and published over 40 articles and papers on public health issues, radiation research, and flight health. He received over 13 USAF awards and commendations including Outstanding Unit Award 1964 AF Weapons Laboratory, Commendation Medal Hq AF Logistics Command 1966, and Outstanding Unit Award USAF Radiological Health Laboratory 1969. In 1964, he was named the commander of the Radiation Research Lab at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton. He was promoted to the rank of full colonel in 1971. Dr. Odland was the only officer in the entire Air Force qualified to lead the lab. And as a result, the Odland family remained stationed at Wright-Patt until he retired in 1977.

After Dr. Odland's retirement he became the health commissioner for Highland and Ross counties. Dr. Odland conceived and developed the Care-A-Van, a mobile medical clinic, to serve the many residents of Highland County. He wrote the grants that helped finance the project, personally manned the free shot clinics and gave hundreds of free school physicals. In his civilian career he also received the following appointments including the seminar leader at the International Science Fair in Albuquerque, N.M., assistant clinic professor of preventive medicine at The Ohio State Medical School, consultant to special laboratory of nuclear medicine and biology at the VA Hospital of Omaha, Neb., special consultant to the chief of nuclear medicine at the VA Medical Dept. Washington, D.C., the chairman of the Data Management Group of the Miami Valley Health Systems Agency Inc., and regional planning member of the Authority of Dayton, Ohio.

Doc was a man of many interests, playing baseball, ice skating, refinishing furniture, restoring gas engines, reading Sherlock Holmes and setting off fireworks are just a few. He relished a good prank! No one loved jokes more than Doc. Throughout his life he volunteered extensively at church, serving on the parish council at St Helen's in Dayton. Doc and Dorothy started the band booster organization at Carroll H.S., penned the name "The Festival of the Bells," and served as grand marshalls for the first festival parade in Hillsboro. Together they purchased and restored the Bell mansion, Clover Lawn, and moved to Hillsboro. He referred to the project as a "30-year love affair." Once in Hillsboro, Doc joined the Highland County Antique Machinery Club and was a dedicated member.

Doc's number one passion was his family. His full-time, self-appointed career was guiding, teaching and supporting his loved ones. He emphasized the importance of education and the value of being clever. He spent endless hours wrangling grandchildren, attending soccer games, concerts and musicals.

Dr. Odland was a man of commitment and honor, a member of The Greatest Generation, World War II veteran, and was devoted to those he loved.

Visitation will be held Friday, Feb. 8 from 6-8 p.m. at the Turner & Son Funeral Home in Hillsboro.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, Feb. 9 at noon at St. Mary Catholic Church in Hillsboro. Burial, with military honors presented by the Wright-Patterson AFB Honor Guard and the Highland County Veterans Honor Guard, will follow in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery. Fr. Mike Paraniuk will be the Celebrant.

The family would like to thank the staff of Highland District Hospital, the staff of the ER at HDH, and the staff of Bethesda North Hospital.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Highland County Humane Society, P.O. Box 471, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.turnerfuneralhomes.cc.