Joseph “Joey” Pearson O’Dell, 76, of Brevard, North Carolina, passed away on August 28, 2026, from complications of COPD. A lifelong resident of the Brevard area, Joey spent his 76 years building a life defined by hard work, family, friendship, and service to the community he called home.

Joey was born on October 2, 1949, in Brevard to William Rufus O’Dell Sr. and Mary Fortune O’Dell. Growing up, some of his fondest times with his father were spent raising beagles and hunting rabbits and squirrels. Joey would later say one of his regrets was not having more time with his dad, making the years they eventually spent working alongside one another at Ecusta all the more meaningful.

Hard work became part of Joey’s life at an early age. As a boy, he picked gladiolus and packed apples to be sold in local markets to help support himself as well as his brothers and sisters. He graduated from Brevard High School in 1968 and went on to build a working life that reflected one of the values he held most dearly: providing for his family.

During the early 1970s, Joey was a mobile home salesman in and around the central portion of North Carolina, earning several awards for top salesman with sales totaling over 500. Wanting to return to his hometown, he then spent the majority of his adult working life at Ecusta Paper Mill, where he worked as a machine operator on the winder. Joey was immensely proud of the work he did during his years at Ecusta, but perhaps even more important to him were the relationships he made there. Many of the people he worked beside became family to him.

Joey, along with his wife, Sandie, was also the owner and operator of Joey’s Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Service for 45 years. After the closing of Ecusta, he spent several years as a salesman at the John Deere dealership, working alongside his son, youngest daughter and late son-in-law. Though it was a volunteer position, his commitment to his community also led him to serve as President of the Gillespie-Evergreen Cemetery Association. He took this position very seriously and could often be found in the cemetery cleaning up stray flowers and limbs, trimming bushes, cleaning headstones, and coordinating property maintenance and care. From picking flowers and packing apples as a boy to operating his own business decades later, Joey worked until his health would no longer allow him to do so. Being a provider was not simply something Joey did; it was part of how he defined himself.

Joey shared 40 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Sandra “Sandie” O’Dell, before her passing in 2009. Their story began when a young Joey was cruising around town in his 1957 Chevy and met the woman with whom he would build his life and family.

Together, they raised their children, Jody O’Dell, Travis O’Dell, and Amanda “Mandy” O’Dell. Joey was a proud grandfather to Devin Spears, Cheyanne Gilbert, Dylan Hankins, and Andrew Hankins, and a handful of honorary grandchildren, who affectionately knew him as “Pa Joe”, “Papa”, and “Big Pa”. Joey could be strong-willed and famously hardheaded, but there was very little he would not do for the people he loved. His family always came first, whether they were connected to him by blood or simply became family along the way. Of all that he accomplished, he was most proud of the life he was able to provide for his children and grandchildren.

Outside of work and family, Joey’s great passion was fishing. By his own count, he had fished more than 30 major lakes over the course of his life. From Lake Hartwell, Lake Jocassee, and Lake Keowee to waters well beyond them, Joey was happiest when he had an opportunity to get out and fish. It was a subject he never seemed to tire of, and anyone willing to talk fishing with Joey could easily find themselves in a conversation that lasted for hours.

When he wasn't thinking about fishing, spring and summer often found Joey watching as much Atlanta Braves baseball as he could. He also enjoyed watching golf and listening to country and bluegrass music.

But perhaps one of the most familiar pictures of Joey wasn't at work, on the water, or in front of a baseball game. It was simply Joey sitting on his front porch.

Having spent nearly his entire life in Brevard, Joey was well known throughout the community and truly never met a stranger. Anyone walking or driving past his house while he was sitting outside could count on seeing a wave and hearing a “hey.” He had a quick wit, a dry sense of humor, and a smile that those who loved him will not soon forget. He was the kind of man people knew they could count on when they needed help.

Through his work, his friendships, his neighbors, and decades spent in his hometown, Joey formed connections throughout Brevard that became an important part of the life he built.

Joey was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Sandra “Sandie” O’Dell; his parents, William Rufus O’Dell Sr. and Mary Fortune O’Dell; and his brothers, Willard “Buddy” O’Dell, William “Bill” O’Dell Jr., and Preston O’Dell.

He is survived by his children, Jody O’Dell, Travis O’Dell, and Mandy O’Dell (Cliff Hankins); his grandchildren, Devin Spears, Cheyanne Gilbert, Dylan Hankins, and Andrew Hankins; his siblings, Kathleen “Kathy” O’Dell and David O’Dell; and his faithful dog and companion, Junior.

In his final days, Joey was surrounded by the friends, family, and neighbors who loved him—a fitting reflection of a man who spent a lifetime building relationships with the people around him.

Joey leaves behind far more than a list of jobs held, fish caught, Braves games watched, or years lived. He leaves behind a family he worked tirelessly to provide for, a community he cared about, friends who became family, neighbors who will miss seeing him on the porch, and countless people throughout Brevard who have their own story about Joey O’Dell.

Those stories—and the connections behind them—are his legacy.

Please join his family and friends in celebrating and remembering his life on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, 133 Osborne Rd., Brevard, NC 28712. A service celebrating Joey’s life will be followed by a reception at the church. All are invited and encouraged to attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Four Seasons Hospice in Joey’s honor.

For 76 years, Joey worked hard, provided for those he loved, helped when he was needed, cast his lines, watched his Braves, greeted his neighbors, and built a life in the mountains he called home.

The porch may be a little quieter now, but the life lived there will not be forgotten.