Gary Joseph O'Dell

Gary Joseph O'Dell, 76, of Asheville, passed away peacefully on December 8, 2025, at his home with Sandra, his wife of 41 years, by his side.
Gary was born on November 30, 1949, in New York, NY to the late Charles Joseph O'Dell and Virginia Baldwin Wheelon. Gary lived most of his life in Buncombe County. He was a veteran of the US Army and served during the Vietnam War. He retired in 1997 from the Water Department as a Water Superintendent. Gary enjoyed riding his motorcycle, coaching softball, and playing tennis. He was also a member of the Black Mountain Tennis Association. He loved his family and friends, but his greatest passion was his two grandsons. Gary was a loving husband, father, Poppy, uncle and friend who will be greatly missed by all.
Those left to cherish his memories are his wife, Sandra Gregg O'Dell; son, Ryan O'Dell (Michelle); daughter, Anna Dockery (Josh); grandsons, Avery and Oliver Dockery; siblings, Judy Castillo (David), Lisa Sheline (Danny) and Bob Wheelon Jr.; nieces, Karin Larkin (Michael) and their children, Alex and Sophia; Jennifer Byrd and Hali Schaefer; nephews, Josh Franklin and Chris Ledford; special cousin, Pat Franklin (Susan); and his canine companion, Max.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, December 14, 2025, from 2:00 to 3:00pm at Harwood Home for Funerals. A celebration of life service will immediately follow at 3:00pm at the funeral home with Chaplain Cy Miller officiating. Interment with military honors will be on Monday, December 15, 2025, at 10:00am in the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery.
The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff and doctors of Four Seasons Hospice, especially Nurse Tiffany, for their care and compassion during this time. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gary, please visit our floral store.