Odell Courtaway

Odell Robert (Bob) Courtaway passed away Sunday, Oct. 4 after his body literally wore out. He was 93. He was born in Mt. Vernon, Ill., the fifth of nine children of a shoe factory foreman and his wife. Because of his father's frequent job changes, Bob grew up in numerous locales in St. Louis and St. Louis County and small towns in Illinois and Missouri. He served in the South Pacific with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and earned a Purple Heart after he was injured seriously on Saipan. He went on to a 30-plus-year career with the Defense Mapping Agency--Aerospace Center (DMAAC) as an equipment maintenance specialist. An expert motorist, he held part-time jobs driving buses and shuttles after his retirement. Bob was an avid reader who loved to learn new skills and enjoyed spending time with his family, feeding the songbirds that gathered at his Webster Groves home (lived there 56 years), working daily crossword puzzles and puttering around in his garage workshop. He is missed by his beloved wife of 73 years, Bernice; daughters Robbi and Lori Courtaway; son-in-law Kevin Murphy; grandchildren Ethan Beyer, Katie Pogue and Sara Murphy; rescue cats Socks and Henry; and other relatives and friends. Burial services are planned at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. October 14, 2015
10:30 am - 10:45 am
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
2900 Sheridan Road