Jack Odell passed away at age 87 on November 23, 2020 in a medical facility near his home in Leesburg, VA with his wife near.  He was born in Lawrence, Kansas, grew up in Sedalia, MO, and graduated from Kansas City University.  He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he earned his PhD, and then came to the University of Maryland at College Park as Professor of Philosophy where he taught for over 40 years.  He loved to show his students see how facts and logic could help them develop sounder views than they may have previously held.  He was a visiting professor at Oxford, England and Trinity College, Ireland, and wrote 7 books on philosophy, the most popular being On Russell .

Jack loved riding and horses all his life, rode in junior rodeo as a teen and fox hunted in Maryland as an adult.  He also loved football and played quarterback in high school.  He was enthusiastic about tennis, golf, and boating, and later in life spent winters in Florida and summers on Cape Cod.  He was interesting, and would debate any point of philosophy, politics, religion, or art, absolutely certain that his position was right.

Jack was married to Barbara R. Bradford and they were together for 34 years.  He was close to his two children, Lynn A. Odell (Bill Robens) of Los Angeles, and Erin O. Bradley (John and children Finn and Fiona) of Boston, from his first marriage to Judith Hammond of Sedalia, MO.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.  Arrangements are made through the Colonial Funeral Home.  Funeral and interment will be private.