Odell Jones S

ODELL JONES SR. was born on September 23, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland to Andzell and Sarah Jones. He was the first of four children (Brenda, James, and Norman all preceded him in death). Odell transitioned to be with the Lord on September 12, 2024 at Future Care Irvington. Odell graduated from Edmondson High School in 1966. He attended Jersey City State, and University of Maryland, Munich Germany campus. He worked at Eastern Products in Baltimore as a shipping clerk, the first African American to have been an employee there. He moved his family to Jersey City, NJ in 1968 in search of a better life. He was challenged by the times and walked to a Steel company to make ends meet. During the recessional times of the 70’s, he decided again to make a move that required thought and careful planning. With three children and a newborn, he rented a truck and moved them all to his wife’s hometown of Edenton, North Carolina. There he found various opportunities to further his work experience. His ability to stay the course and provide for his family afforded him to build a beautiful home on a large plot of land. His four children had the opportunity to experience country living and good schools. His strong faith kept his family in church every Sunday. He was an active member in the church orchestrating Christmas plays, ushering, and volunteering. In the midst of a challenging small town in the South, work became scarce. Odell decided to make the choice in the Summer of 1980 to enter the United States Army. His skills and knowledge allowed for promotion and a tour of duty overseas with his family. There he worked in the 226th Postal Company. He completed his service in United States Army and ended up in Kansas. In Kansas, he found his calling in community service. He started a childrens’ after school homework club called Topeka Teens Making a Difference (TTMAD). The overall goal was to provide a safe after school environment for children to come and have tutoring in any subject. TTMAD based in Topeka, Kansas provided teens the opportunity to learn through travel and trips to places like Chicago and Washington, DC. In order to fund these expensive trips, Odell and his son Maurice raised money through donations and fund raisers. The creativity of one fund raiser was the Stress reliever. Odell coordinated the donation of a junk vehicle. Every attendee donated money to “get a hit” or “hits”. It was a huge success and exceeded the initial money to raise goal. With the additional donation funding, TTMAD created the silver dollar club to reward high achievers in the program. The way the silver dollar club worked is that for each child that achieved a certain grade above and beyond upon entering TTMAD, they would receive a physical silver dollar in a fancy case. As result of the popularity of TTMAD, Odell was asked to put in a bid to run for Mayor of Topeka. His efforts were not unnoticed as he placed third in a challenging race. Once done with his accomplishments in Kansas, Odell’s final move was back to Baltimore to care for his mother until her passing. ' He leaves behind: his loving wife, Gay C. Jones; five children, Charlene, Devora, Tammy, Odell Jr. and Maurice; and two foster children, Francis and Kyser; sixteen grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and a host of other family members and friends

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Odell Jones S

September 23, 1945 - September 12, 2024