R-214 Page 1 of 1
2024
No. R-214. House concurrent resolution in memory of veteran Pownal firefighter Kenneth Carlton O’Dell.
(H.C.R.160)
Offered by: Representatives Brownell of Pownal and Morrissey of Bennington Offered by: Senators Campion and Sears Whereas, the citizens of the Town of Pownal were well acquainted with their neighbor Ken O’Dell, and Whereas, Ken O’Dell spent his working career as a burner technician, and Whereas, Ken O’Dell’s devotion to the Pownal Fire Department is an important chapter in the organization’s history, as, for an amazing 65 years, he regularly responded to the department’s calls to repel blazes and assist with urgent rescues, and Whereas, seldom does a volunteer firefighter compile such an extensive record of public service, and Ken O’Dell’s life choice to don a firefighter’s uniform from his early 20s until his death at 88 years of age is most remarkable, and Whereas, outdoor activities were a special pleasure for Ken O’Dell, as he found great pleasure in camping, gardening, hunting, and fishing, and Whereas, his family was of great personal importance, and he avidly cheered for professional football’s New York Giants, and Whereas, although Ken O’Dell’s recreational and family interests were a central aspect of his life, the community service he offered was nonetheless superb, and Whereas, for many years, he was the Oak Hill Cemetery Superintendent, helping to
ensure that the departed were properly looked after, and Whereas, the death of Ken O’Dell, on February 3, 2024, marked the passing of a man who had been married to Eva Anne Leonard for 64 years, until her death in 2019, and he
is survived by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, now therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
That the General Assembly extends its condolences to the family of Kenneth Carlton
O’Dell, and be it further Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to
the family of Ken O’Dell and to the Pownal Fire Department.
VT LEG #375139 v.1