John Odam

1943 - 2022

John Odam
05/19/1943 - 08/21/2022
A steadfast friend, gentle soul, passionate public servant and devoted family man, John Odam died on August 18 after a long and noble battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was surrounded by his children at his home in Wimberley overlooking the tranquil Blanco River, in the same room where his beloved wife, Peggy, passed just five months earlier. Elvis Presley's rendition of "Always on My Mind," Peggy and John's special song, played as John left this world.
A proud third-generation Texan, John was born in Abilene, the only child of John Will Odam and Nettie Eloise Odam née Morris.
His almost-70-year love affair with Elvis Presley, whom he would impersonate for decades to come, and a life in politics both blossomed when John lip-synced "Hound Dog" as part of his junior high student council campaign.
After graduating as Mr. Abilene High, John, who maintained close relationships with dozens of classmates until his death, attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, a brotherhood he nurtured until the end of his life. It was at UT where he met the love of his life, Peggy Kurtz, to whom he was married for 57 years.
John, who worked at the YMCA in East Austin as a UT student, moved with his new wife to Littleton, Co. following college graduation to run the YMCA before entering Officer Candidate School in the United States Army. Stationed at Fort Knox, he proudly served two years in the Army, teaching tank operations before retiring as a first lieutenant in 1968.
John attended Baylor University Law School on the GI Bill and served as editor-in-chief of the law review and graduated with honors. John and Peggy moved to Houston in 1971, and the couple welcomed their first child, Jennifer Paige, into the world in 1972.
After a brief stint working for Baker & Botts in Houston, John's 50-year legal career took off in 1973, when he joined Texas Attorney General John Hill's office. During his time in the AG's office, John served as First Assistant Attorney General and argued in front of the United States Supreme Court. While in Austin, John and Peggy grew their family when son Matthew was born in 1975.
A return to Houston saw John become a partner at Fulbright & Jaworski, where Leon Jaworski took the Texas State Bar's 1976 Outstanding Young Lawyer under his wing.
Odam divided his time between law and politics starting in the 1980s, when he was elected Chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party and served from 1982-1984. That decade also saw Odam serve as special assistant to Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire and special legislative counsel for Texas Governor Mark White.
John's private practice legal career was marked most notably by his time as partner in the Houston firms of Helm, Pletcher, Hogan, Bown & Saunders, and Beirne, Maynard & Parsons. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Texas Attorney General in 1990, a historic campaign highlighted by his travels to each of the state's 254 county courthouses, and for United States Senate in 1996.
Odam remained an active participant in Democratic politics throughout his life, including working as a volunteer with Peggy on Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. Odam also served on the Texas Youth Commission, to which he was appointed by Governor Ann Richards. The Abilene native's life in public service was capped by his work as general counsel in the Harris County Attorney's Office.
In addition to his paid work, Odam volunteered much of his time to his community, serving as a deacon at South Main Baptist Church, on the Houston Parks Board, and as a board member of the Houston Area Parkinson Society. He also found great purpose and camaraderie through his participation in the American Leadership Forum.
An avid runner and fixture at Memorial Park throughout the 80s and 90s, Odam, who completed 14 marathons, once held a streak of running at least a mile every day for more than 20 years.
When he was not running for office or at the park with friends, Odam could often be found reading (or writing) a book. He chronicled his historic Lone Star State courthouse trek with his political memoir, "Courtin' Texas," and penned the novel "The Candidate Conspiracy," a globe-hopping 2008 political thriller centered around corrupt foreign influence on U.S. politics.
Odam's love of law, letters, politics, friends and Elvis took a backseat to the greatest loves of his life: his wife, children and grandchildren. John was a faithful husband and father whose support for family was unquestioned, and whose pride in his children was shared with everyone in his Rolodex.
Family vacations in which John fancied himself a real-life Clark Griswold defined each summer for decades, and holidays spent in Wimberley represented some of his warmest memories. Paw Paw was a regular fixture at football games and recitals and regularly shared his love of Texas by taking his grandsons on trips to visit historical sites like the Alamo.
John is survived by his daughter, Jennifer Paige Odam Barnett; son, Matthew Kurtz Odam; son-in-law Chip Barnett; daughter-in-law Elizabeth Manieri-Odam; grandchildren Charlie Barnett, Spencer Barnett, Luke Barnett and Rose Manieri-Odam; first cousins Sandra Morrison and Richard Emery; and numerous other cousins.
The family would like to thank the loving care and attention of the professionals at Blue Bonnet Palliative Care of Wimberley, Comfort Keepers of San Marcos and Family Tree Private Care of Houston.
A celebration of John Odam's life is planned for September 3 at 2 p.m. at South Main Baptist Church in Houston, with a reception at the church to follow. A burial service at the Texas State Cemetery will be planned for the early fall.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in John Odam's name to the Houston Area Parkinson Society.