Donna Odle Smith

Donna completed her journey on earth August 9, 2022. She was grateful for the beautiful life God had granted her. A visitation will be held in The Houston Room, 2965 S Sam Houston Parkway, E#100, Houston, TX 77047 on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM. A Memorial Service will be held at Bering Drive Church of Christ, 1910 Bering Drive, Houston, TX 77057 on Saturday, August 20, 2022 at 10:00 AM followed immediately by a reception in the church.

She is survived by her son Nicholas Alexander of College Station, Texas; former husband, Randall Preston Smith of Houston; and brother Richard Lee “Dick” Odle and wife Scottie of Waco, Texas. She is also survived by a host of extended family who will miss her dearly. Donna is preceded in death by her parents.

Donna was born July 25,1953 in Midland, TX, to Elie Clifton “Jack” Odle and Alice Kingrea Odle. After graduating from Robert E. Lee high school in Midland, Texas (now Legacy High School), she earned her undergraduate degree at University of Texas, Austin, masters degree at Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA. and Ed.D. at University of Houston. She lived in Dallas, Galveston, Clear Lake and Houston before moving to Pearland, Texas in 1999.

Donna was a lifelong learner who was constantly seeking new experiences and learning new skills. She encouraged her students to do the same and delighted in their successes. Donna enjoyed being a Medical Illustrator early in her working life and worked at both UTMB Galveston and MD Anderson. She then followed her love for learning and became a teacher at Clements High School and Hightower High School. After earning her Doctorate in Education, she created curriculum and taught at the University of Houston-Clear Lake City, Rice University and the University of Houston.

Of all of the roles in her life being mother to her son Nick was the one Donna cherished the most. She was delighted by his achievements and adventures, and hardly a day went by without her sharing stories of him with family and friends.

To donate to the Dr. Donna Odle Smith Memorial Scholarship, please use this direct link: https://igfn.us/vf/GIVEDRSMITH. Once on the webpage, click “make a donation.” Donations can be made via credit card.

You can also send a text message via cell phone to the number 71-777. The text message should say: GIVEDRSMITH. In response, you will get a message back with a link to the webpage.

Eligible recipients will be Exploratory Studies Students with financial need and in good academic standing. This is the area Donna was working in and she absolutely loved her job. There is a huge need for this as very few scholarships exist for students who aren't in a major.