Odel Crawford

Odel Crawford, 72, of Odessa, TX, was called home to be with the Lord on January 15, 2025. He passed away peacefully at ContinueCARE Hospital at Medical Center Hospital, surrounded by his loving family.

His Viewing will be on Thursday, January 30, 2025, from 1 pm – 9 pm at Martinez Funeral Home and Crematory, 1040 S Dixie Blvd, Odessa, TX 79761, with visitation with family from 6 pm – 8 pm.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, January 31 at 11:00 am (final Viewing from 10:00 am – 11:00 am) at 6th and Jackson church of Christ at 301 E 6th St, Odessa, TX 79761. Burial will be on Saturday, February 1 at 11 am at Greenleaf Cemetery at 2615 US Hwy 377, Brownwood, TX.

Odel Crawford was born in Brownwood, TX, to Jewel Crawford Danner and Charles Alfred Williams on April 23, 1952. He attended Brownwood High School, graduating in 1970 with scholarship opportunities in classical choral singing and football. A man who valued family from an early age, Odel elected to stay close to home and attend Abilene Christian (College) University on a football scholarship. There, he met and married the love of his life, Catherine Godwin. He graduated from Abilene Christian in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management.

 Odel and his young family moved to Odessa in 1976. He enjoyed a 25+ year career with the Texas (Employment) Workforce Commission, serving with 20+ years in management/supervision. He also sought to serve the community of Odessa and the Permian Basin and was quoted in the Odessa American as “his personal goals are to ‘help all the people of the city,’ and move towards economic development of Odessa, especially south Odessa.’” To that end, he actively engaged in community and service-based organizations and local and state politics. Among many, he also served on the Board of Directors of several organizations: Black Chamber of Commerce-Permian President (Past President-CEO), Texas Association of African-American Chambers of Commerce (Founding Member, Vice-Chair), West Texas Adult Literacy Council (Founding Member and Past President), International Association of Personnel in Employment Security (Past President for Midland Region), Odessa Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Odessa Chamber of Commerce, Woodson Advisory Board, Odessa Enterprise Zone Committee, Odessa Project Business Development Board, Private Industrial Council, United Way Child Care Allocation Panel, Odessa Task Force Project Plus, 20/20 Fore Sight, and the Ector County Lions Den.

Odel received many awards for outstanding service in the community. Among many were the 1986 Outstanding Man of the Year by the Odessa’s Black Chamber of Commerce’s Ebony Bar Award, the 1988 Dean K. Phillips Award from the National Veterans Training Institute in Denver, CO; a multi-recipient of the Who’s Who in Black America Outstanding Black American award, and, most recently, the Black Chamber of Commerce of the Permian Basin Presidential Award at the 2023 Living Legends Banquet.

Odel lived his life fully and deeply. He enjoyed a personal relationship with God and shared this with many others. He lived a life of ministry and service. God gave Odel a beautiful singing voice and he loved singing. He sang with wonderful friends in the Christian a capella group, the Gospel Train, traveling to other churches and prisons spreading the Gospel of Christ through song. At the request of fellow Christians, he began hosting church meetings in his home, which became the genesis of the Carver Heights church of Christ. In his zeal for life, he also enjoyed cooking and barbecuing (his children were accustomed to him regularly cooking breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner and he was renowned among friends and family for his barbecue and smoked meats), traveling, fishing, and camping, reading, playing dominoes and card games, professional football, and attending church, lectureships, and gospel meetings. He believed in uplifting future generations, was phenomenal with children, and valued mentoring the youth and young adults. He was often engaged as a motivational speaker and was also the keynote commencement speaker for Permian High School.

 Odel impacted many lives throughout his journey on Earth. His passion for life, his love of people, his steady personal strength, his ability to be a true friend, his desire to build and connect communities both within and across cultures, his being the light in his wife’s eyes, and his love, presence, and support as a father will be greatly missed.

His passing has left a profound void among his loved ones and members of the community who knew him, even at the end stages of his life. He was preceded in death by his beloved paternal grandfather, Abe Williams, who he often publicly declared his hero, and his paternal grandmother, Isabelle (Borders) Williams; his beloved maternal grandmother, Locie Crawford; his beloved mother, Jewel Crawford Danner, and his father, Charles Alfred Williams; as well as his daughter, Staci Crawford.

Those who remain to cherish his memory include Catherine Crawford, his wife and life partner of 54 years; his daughters, Vanessa Crawford of Austin, TX; Ashanti Crawford of Philadelphia, PA; and Pharren Crawford of Washington, DC; his siblings, Vicki Crawford-Bias, Robert (Eva) Crawford, Tammie Johnson, Mark Crawford, Falina “Doll” Thomas, Antonio Dancer, Teresa Williams, LaVarene “Chelle” Williams, and Janet Williams Chappelle; his siblings through marriage: Vernell (Gloston) Anderson; Billy “BJ” (Linda) Godwin; Sylvia Brown; and Jeanette (Shelton) Gibbs III; a host of beloved nieces/nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews; his church family at Carver Heights church of Christ, and numerous friends throughout the country.

 In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to any of the following causes in Odel Crawford’s name:

Black Chamber of Commerce-Permian Basin (Scholarship Fund) | P.O. Box 1006, Odessa, TX 77960Woodson Boys & Girls Club | basinkids.org/donate (Woodson BGC+Holiday Donation)Woodson Young Scholars | 700 Washington Lane, Odessa, TX 79761