Francis B. O'Donnell

Francis B. 'Odie' O'Donnell, 78, went home to be with his Lord on March 15, 2008. He was born December 5, 1929 in Shawnee, Ohio, the son of the late Thomas J. and Florence Kelly O'Donnell. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Joseph and John, a sister, Irene Sherry, a stepmother, Esther, and a first cousin, James, who was raised in the O'Donnell home. He is survived by his wife Anita Tope O'Donnell, whom he married in Logan, Ohio on January 12, 1958; sons, Patrick Barbara Hood of Gallipolis, Ohio, and Matthew Theresa Ann Sobczak of Westerville, Ohio; two grandsons, Sean and Timothy of Westerville; mother-in-law, Marianna Irwin Tope, Rio Grande; brother-in-law, Leland 'Bud' Tope, Rio Grande; and sisters-in-law, Karen Tope Hamrick of Mansfield, Gaynelle Tope Lynch Jon of Gallipolis, Virginia O'Donnell of Englewood, Florida, and Carol O'Donnell Shelton of Logan, Ohio. He graduated from Logan High School in 1947, where he was a member of the varsity football team, and numerous school organizations. He attended Ohio State University before entering the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He served in Germany with the 16th Field Hospital, where he was a Troop Information & Education Instructor TI&E, and a Psychiatric Social Worker Technician. He came to Gallipolis in 1954 where he was employed as a country music disc jockey and sports director at WJEH Radio and later at WMOV Radio in Ravenswood, W.Va. O'Donnell also held the position of Sports Editor of the Gallipolis Daily Tribune on two different occasions, and was a correspondent for that paper until 1999. After working as an outside salesman for G & J Auto Parts and Parts Plus for 32 years, he retired in 1996 and has since been employed as a certified substitute teacher at the Gallia-Jackson-Vinton Joint Vocational School in Rio Grande, marketing and public relations coordinator for the Gallia County Senior Resource Center, and in public relations for Eastman's Foodland stores. He has served as a step-on tour guide for the Ohio Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau in Gallipolis and as media coordinator for the 2000 census committee of Gallia County. Known for his interest in sports, O'Donnell served as the football public address announcer at Memorial Field for 40 years and as a varsity basketball scorekeeper for the Blue Devil teams for 46 years. In 1997 he became an honorary member of the Varsity G Club at Gallia Academy High School. He was awarded an honorary membership in the GAHS Alumni Association in 2002, and in 2004 was inducted into the GAHS Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a longtime member of the Gallia Academy Athletic Boosters, including two terms as president and 10 years as a secretary-treasurer. He also was elected secretary-treasurer of the Southeastern Ohio Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association for 22 years, where he assisted in the selection of over 3, 000 athletes to the all-league, all district, and all-state teams. In 1999 he was inducted into the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Hall of Fame in Columbus. In 1996 O'Donnell was made a Kentucky Colonel. In both 1998 and 2006, he was named the Knight of the Year by Council 3335, Knights of Columbus of St. Louis Catholic Church in Gallipolis. More recently he was the council's recording secretary. He was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church, where he served as a Lecturer and Usher for more than four decades, and served eight years on the St. Louis Parish Council, including one year as president. O'Donnell was a member of the Post 4464, VFW, Lafayette Post 27, American Legion, and a Lifetime Member of the Disabled American Veterans. His other memberships included the Gallia County Conservation Club, Gallia County Agricultural Society nine years as a director of the Gallia County Junior Fair Board, Gallia County Council on Aging, and a charter member of the Gallipolis Lions Club since 1956. His 40-year reign as the Tail Twister of the Lions Club is both an Ohio and a national record for that office; he was a member of the Lions Board of Directors since 1956. He was a recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellowship award, the Lions Club's highest award. He was also honored as the 'Man of the Year' by the District 18 Masonic Lodges for his years of service to youth, the elderly, and the community. Odie O'Donnell will be remembered for his love of God, his family, his country, people of all ages, Gallia County, and his adopted City of Gallipolis. Funeral services will be 11 am Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at the St. Louis Catholic Church with Msgr. William Myers officiating. Burial will follow in the Mound Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at the Willis Funeral Home in Gallipolis from 2pm 8 pm on Tuesday, March 18, 2008. A prayer service will be held on Tuesday after the visitation at Willis Funeral Home. There will be full military rites at the graveside by volunteers of area veterans lodges. Pallbearers will be Chris Homer, Bob Hennessey, Mike Ours, Bruce Davison, Matt Bokovitz, Brent Saunders, Jim Osborne, and Robert Hood, Honorary Pallbearers will be Hobart Wilson, Jr., Steve Ebert, Leland 'Bud' Tope, Robert McCollins, and Edward Stewart. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Gallia County Senior Resource Center or to the GAHS Athletic Boosters. Willis Funeral Home Gallipolis OH US Cemetery: 2008-03-19 Mound Hill Cemetery Gallipolis OH US Visitation: 2008-03-18 14:00:00-20:00:00 Willis Funeral Home Gallipolis OH US Service: 2008-03-19 11:00:00 St. Louis Catholic Church Gallipolis OH US