Terry Lee Odle

Whether Terry’s rebel side and tough demeanor were inborn, or whether he developed these qualities over the years when growing up as “the PK in town” (preacher’s kid), it is hard to tell. Probably both. Terry might be described as a diamond in the rough, or a fierce protector with a tender heart. Either way, after a person was accepted into his “circle of trust,” you were golden! You had a friend and protector for life. He was steadfast, honorable, and loving. He was also plain-talking, and his no-filter statements could often be cringe-worthy! People who understood Terry loved him back with the same devotion he gave.

When Terry was born in 1947, his parents lived in Argentine, Kansas, where this young family later lost their house and possessions in the flood of 1951. When Terry was eight, his father went into the ministry and the family moved to Barnard, Kansas, for his first church appointment. Terry’s brother, Ollie, Jr., was born in 1952, and his sister, Kathie, was then born in 1954. Throughout the years, church appointments took the family from Barnard in Kansas to Junction City, El Dorado, and finally Bedford, Iowa. Terry attended El Dorado High School for all but the last few months of his senior year before moving to Bedford and graduating there, but he continued to communicate with his El Dorado friends until the end. After graduation, he attended college in South Dakota for a time, but returned home, and soon married his girlfriend in Bedford, Cathy Clark, in 1968. Their family later included his beloved 130 lb. German shepherd, Tipsy; an incredibly intelligent dog that he bonded with and continued to miss for the rest of his life. They later had two daughters: Brandi in 1973 and Tera in 1976. He was devoted to his girls, who were his “heart” throughout his life, and his fiercely protective and loving nature produced a mutual bond of steel between them. Terry’s first marriage ended in 1991, and after he began dating Trudy Stegelman in 2002, they were married in 2008. He and his family lovingly added Trudy’s mother, Sarah Rainey, Trudy’s two children, Jeff and Heather, and their children to the Odle family. Terry and Trudy later lived in Huntsville, Alabama, for several years until they returned to their home in Overland Park, Kansas, in 2015. While in Huntsville, they added their poodle, Cooper, to their family; a sweet dog that Terry loved and was comforted by until the end. His heart expanded with each addition to the family, and at the end, this included all eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren who were a source of pride and joy.

During his early years, Terry was very likely head-strong and rambunctious. He loved action and being outdoors until late in his life. At age twelve, he was thrown from a horse and landed on his head, causing a concussion and back injury, and the list of injuries he sustained over the years from putting himself “out there” would fill a book. He loved hunting (especially his annual turkey hunt with his dear friend, Norm), fishing, and collecting guns and knives. He owned and loved many cars and trucks, ending with his 2006 red Corvette. He was an excellent marksman when hunting, and pitched in baseball with killer accuracy throughout his high school years, playing softball well into his 40’s, often bettering younger players. He was a natural salesman, starting with selling doughnuts and collecting newspaper fees from clients on his newspaper route in high school, later selling insurance, and even selling Volvo cars at the new dealership near the KC airport after his retirement.

Terry was tall and slender when growing up, but later became very muscular and strongly built during his work with martial arts and his long physically demanding career. The “PK” side of him that had been teased and bullied in adolescence rather enjoyed being a very intimidating adult! He also enjoyed attention and even some self-deprecating humor. Those who know him may remember when he painted his cowboy boots silver, wore a pink shirt around his lineman friends just to make a point, showed up in his skunk hat at a bar to confront some men who were heckling a friend, and especially the kilt and skunk hat combination when walking with Trudy, his friend Keith Marler, and Keith’s bagpipe corps in the Lawrence St Patrick’s Day parade.

Terry worked for thirty-one years as a lineman at the Board of Public Utilities in Kansas City, Kansas, starting as an apprentice in 1971 and ending as a lead lineman during his last years until his retirement at age 55 in December of 2002. A childhood friend, Mike Berry, also became his co-worker and continued as his lifelong buddy. He prided himself in knowing that no one on his crew was ever seriously injured under his watch in this highly dangerous occupation of working with live power lines. His retirement opened a truly joyful time for him to indulge in his love of Harley Davidson motorcycles and riding. He put 43,000 miles on one motorcycle in no time and had several beautiful cycles in just a few years. He added many dear friends and memories during that time, but later hip replacements caused him to reluctantly close that chapter of his life. He struggled with health issues for many years at the end of his life and had multiple diagnoses that never really captured the entire cause. It was his final diagnoses of non-alcoholic cirrhosis (NASH) and multiple myeloma with chemotherapy that caused his greatest struggles in the last two years of his life.

Terry had a big personality and a big heart. He identified with eagles and wolves for the qualities they conveyed as well as all things Native American because of family history. He had beautiful black-ink tattoos of an eagle on one shoulder and a wolf on the other. Terry has left us with many stories, smiles, and also tears as we celebrate his life, but mourn our own loss. As much as he rebelled against his father’s strict rules growing up, he deeply loved his father and embraced God and Jesus in his spiritual core. He was at peace with his family and with his God in the end. Along with his unending love, this was also the gift that he left with us to remember and cherish.

Terry was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. Ollie Odle Sr. and Altha Webb Odle of Bedford, IA. He is survived by his loving wife, Trudy Stegelman Odle; his two daughters, Brandi (Kevin) Chambers of Gardner, KS, and Tera (Matt) Schlotfelt of Oologah, OK; their mother, Cathy Clark Cochran of Spring Hill, KS; two step-children, Jeff Stegelman of Seattle, WA, and Heather (Gabe) Wurdeman of Osage City, KS; brother, Ollie Odle, Jr. of Port Isabel, TX; sister, Kathie (Mike) Anderson of Blockton, IA; eleven grandchildren, Katelynn (Nathan) Dutton; Taylor, Sarah, and Alexis Chambers; Banner, Lenni, and Riggs Schlotfelt; Laurell and Dublin Stegelman; and Mason and Alayna Wurdeman; three great-grandchildren, Seeley, Melody, and Nova Dutton; and his loyal dog, Cooper.

Graveside services will be Sat. April, 3 at 2:00 pm at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens – Kansas City, KS. If planning to attend please follow social distancing guidelines of a six feet distances as well as possible, and please wear proper face coverings. Weather permitting, this service will also be available live on Chapel Hill-Butler Funeral Home’s Facebook page. Please log on to facebook.com/chapelhillbutler to view the livestream of Terry's service. Shortly before the appointed time, the livestream will begin. If you do not see the livestream on your screen, please refresh your page. You may need to scroll down to see the livestream. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made in Terry’s memory to Kansas City Hospice, 12000 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64145; https://www.kchospice.org/support/