Obituary of Colonel Chester E. Oddis

Oddis, Col. Chester ("Chet") E. Age 90, of Green Tree, passed away peacefully on June 15, 2015, with his family surrounding him with love as he went to be with Our Lord. Chet was married for 66 years to Gloria (Talotta) Oddis, who passed in December, 2014. Chet will be truly missed by his daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Chris Caruso, and his son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Chester V. and Elaine Oddis, as well as his six grandchildren: Cara, David (Megan) and Michael Caruso, Christopher and Matthew Oddis, and Sara (John, children Roman & Amelia) Taormina. He is survived by his sisters, Irma Tatano and Lydia Corey, and predeceased by his brother Alvo. Chet joined the Army Air Force in 1943 and graduated from the Navigator Flying Program in December 1944 as a Second Lieutenant. He served in the Pacific for the remainder of WWII and then with the occupation forces in Japan until September 1946. After the war, Chet earned his Bachelor's Degree in Education with a double major in math and physics at Duquesne University in June 1950. He taught just one month when he was recalled to active duty to serve two years in the Korean War. He returned to teaching math and physics at Mt. Lebanon H.S. while earning his Master of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. In April 1957, Chet was again ordered back to active duty, and he and his family went first to Guam and then to Tucson, AZ. Afterward, he worked from 1960-1972 as a nuclear safety specialist with the Navy Nuclear Submarine Program at the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in West Mifflin. Chet continued his Air Force duties as a reservist, including flight missions to Vietnam. In 1972, Chet was promoted to Colonel at which time he accepted a position as Consultant on Reserve Forces Affairs at the Pentagon until August 1977 when he completed his final military tour. He returned to the AEC until his retirement in 1985. During his retirement, Chet was an active parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Carnegie. He was the Director of Finance for the school for 12 years and handled church administrative matters for many more years. Chet's enjoyment of finance led him to create investment clubs for his friends and church members. Chet loved the military and his volunteer work, but his family was his first love. His children, Lisa and Chet, and his wife, Gloria, were the focus of his life and he enjoyed providing for them. Chet was also the ultimate Pappap, taking his grandchildren to amusement parks, beach vacations, chaperoning field trips, attending their sporting events, hosting sleepovers, and taking the entire family on a Caribbean cruise. But most of all Chet had a loving, caring and compassionate heart-that's his legacy to all of us. Friends received Thursday, 2-4 and 6-9 Pm, in the Warchol Funeral Home, Inc., 3060 Washington Pike, Bridgeville (412-221-3333), where a Blessing Service will be held Friday at 10 AM. Interment will follow in Queen of Heaven Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Fisher House Foundation, 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420, Rockville, MD 20850. Friends received Thursday, 2-4 and 6-9 Pm, in the Warchol Funeral Home, Inc., 3060 Washington Pike, Bridgeville (412-221-3333), where a Blessing Service will be held Friday at 10 AM. Interment will follow in Queen of Heaven Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Fisher House Foundation, 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420, Rockville, MD 20850.