Mary Carolyn "Mimie" Jackson O'Dell
Carolyn “Mimi” Jackson O’Dell, loving wife, mother, and grandmother passed peacefully surrounded by her family on March 24, 2022, at the age of 85. She was born on March 19, 1937, in Rosman, North Carolina to John and Ethel Jackson. Carolyn spent her youth in West Virginia where she attended DuPont High School. This is where she met the love of her life, Max O’Dell. When she first laid eyes on him, she had told her friends, “That’s the man I’m going to marry.” After being named the cutest couple in the senior yearbook they both went on to attend Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, where Carolyn was a sorority member of Alpha Chi Omega. After college, the pair wed and spent the first years of their married life on the move, as Max was commissioned for the U.S. Marine Corps. They eventually planted roots in Roanoke, Virginia, living there for 20 years while raising their four children, and then went on to spend their last 30 years living in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Carolyn always had an eye for fashion. It should come as no surprise she spent 40 years working in the clothing and retail industry. She spent time at Heironimus Department Store, Smartwear/BerryBurke, Bonomos, and The Wardrobe. Carolyn’s retail success and passion for fashion resulted in her dream coming true – owning her own clothing store. In 1990 she opened Mimi’s Plus Limited – a joint venture with her husband Max and daughter Kelley. Her stores remained open until 2008 when Mimi was finally ready to retire.
Throughout her life, Carolyn enjoyed many hobbies, especially live theater, reading, traveling, and watching sports. She was very social, candid, and thoughtful. Her aversion to technology did not matter – her brain was an organized catalog of experiences, snapshots of memories, reels of her life, which she would often recount for her own amusement to any willing audience. She loved to laugh, especially when remembering something ridiculous her rowdy grandchildren had done. She never forgot to send a birthday card. She loved flipping between sports games all day long with Max. She was so proud of her children and often marveled at the blessing of her family.
Carolyn was preceded in death by her loving husband of 63 years Max O’Dell; daughter, Erin Leslie O’Dell; granddaughter, Megan Rian Clark; and sister, DeMeta Jenkins. She is survived by her loving and devoted children, Kelley Clark (David Clark), Brian O’Dell (Katie O’Dell), Darren O’Dell (Georganna O’Dell), Nathan O’Dell (Kim O’Dell); adoring grandchildren, Reese Clark (Leslie Beckner Clark), Suzanne O’Dell Binnendijk (CDR. Baxter Smoak), Lizabeth O’Dell, Max O’Dell, Emma O’Dell, Dossie O’Dell, Grace O’Dell, Madison O’Dell; unruly (but adored) great-grandchildren, Tyler Beckner, Nathan Clark, Devin Clark, Chase Clark, Grayson Smoak, Caroline Smoak, Abigail Smoak, Beau Binnendijk, and Liv Binnendijk; and sister, Johanna Snodgrass.
Carolyn unequivocally loved her husband Max, a fact which makes losing her a little easier on those who loved her most – knowing they are now reunited in heaven and shining their love down on us all.
The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the staff at Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center, especially Dr. Sebastian Pardee. A huge thank you to the staff at Blue Ridge Cancer Care, Dr. Donald Vile, and to the 6th-floor nurses at Lewis-Gale Medical Center, whose kindness and care always went above and beyond.
A celebration of her life will be held on Monday, March 28, 2022, where a funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. at the John M. Oaky & Son Funeral Home in Salem, Virginia, with Rev. Tim Gearheart officiating. Immediately following, her interment will be held at Sherwood Memorial Park.
Friends may visit with the family from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, givenow.lls.org
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.johnmoakey.com.
