John Kyle Odom, known to all who loved him as Kyle, passed away on September 27, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas, after facing cancer with the same quiet strength that marked every part of his life. He was 55 years old.

Kyle was born on March 5, 1971, in San Antonio, Texas. From a young age he found joy in the outdoors, camping, hunting, and fishing alongside his family and grandparents, adventures that would shape the man he became. He attended the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he studied engineering, a fitting path for someone whose mind never stopped working and whose hands could seemingly fix or build anything.

In 2003, Kyle married the love of his life, Shelly. Together they built a family full of love. Their twin girls, Caroline and Olivia, arrived in 2007, followed by their son, Orrin, in 2009. Kyle was fiercely proud of his children and poured himself into their lives. He taught them archery, survival skills, spent countless evenings reading or watching science fiction together as a family, and showed them by example what it meant to live with integrity. The family's adventures took them far, including a move to Germany in 2020 and to Alaska in 2024. Kyle so enjoyed adventure that he drove the ALCAN highway 3 separate times, camping out along the way, once in the heart of winter.

Professionally, Kyle managed gun ranges and stores, where his expertise with firearms and his deep knowledge made him a trusted resource to many. Yet his talents stretched in every direction. He built his own electric guitars and taught himself to play them. He crafted his own fly fishing rods and lures, grew fruits and vegetables with a gardener's patient hand, studied honey bees and pecan trees and cultivated worm farms, built and sold remote control airplanes, and even learned the delicate art of stained glass. He was an excellent cook and made pecan pies for his neighbors in Germany. Intelligent and endlessly curious, he knew history and politics well and delighted in a good conversation about either.

A man of few words, Kyle carried a quiet wisdom and a sharp wit that drew people to him. He was kind, sincere, and strong in character. Above all, his faith anchored him. He worshiped at many churches over the years, participating in bible studies and mission trips, walking this world with quiet dignity and a steady trust in God. He will be deeply missed, forever remembered and always loved. 

Kyle is survived by his wife, Shelly Nel Odom; his daughters, Caroline Elizabeth Odom and Olivia Valen Odom; his son, Orrin Val Odom; his mother, Janice E. Odom; his sister, Jennifer Odom Burden (Lucas); his aunts and uncles, Debbie Odom LaGrone (Ronnie) and Connie Odom Wilson (JR); his cherished cousins, Ethan LaGrone, Cody LaGrone, Courtney LaGrone Stephens, Joseph Wilson, and his mother-in-law, Carol L. Slyker, (John); his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Allison Slyker Garvin (John) and John Val Slyker (Karin), and numerous neices and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Johnny H. Odom; his grandfathers, O.V. Odom and Lowe Sampson; and his grandmothers, Aileen Odom and Myrtis Sampson. 

A Fellowship Luncheon will be held on October 5, 2026, at University Methodist Church in the Loft at 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., followed by burial at Pearsall Cemetery at 3:00 p.m.

In remembrance of Kyle, the family asks that flowering plants be sent to Hurley's Funeral Home in Pleasanton or to Janice Odom.