Geri was born to Charles and Ruth Goddard on March 5, 1925, and raised in Salmon, Idaho. She left us on Nov 21, 2022, at the age of 97. After graduating from high school, she attended University of Idaho where she majored in home economics and dietetics. Geri did her internship as a dietician at Cedars Sinai hospital in L.A., where she fondly remembered everyone celebrating in the streets at the end of WWII. She came home to visit and met our dad, Owen Koller, at Natatorium Park. They fell in love, married, and had 4 kids. Mom had stories of the tough life while living on the farm and raising a newborn, but they eventually moved back to Spokane. Geraldine's first job in Spokane was as a dietician at Edgecliffe Sanitarium. Then she went in to teaching, where her first job was in Worley, Idaho. She went on to teach at Wittier Elementary in Spokane and then Ferris High School, where she taught advanced biology and was dearly loved by her students. During this time, Mom was offered a scholarship to Humboldt University, so she took us all to Arcata, California for 3 summers as she earned her Master of Science degree in Marine Biology. In 1974, she and dad divorced, but she continued to excel in her many interests. In her 50's she earned a PhD in teaching Science in Elementary from WSU and proceeded to move up in education to be an assistant principal at Lewis & Clark and later at Shadle Park High School, where she retired. She met her true soulmate Dick Odell, and they built a house with much help from her son David. Geraldine lived life to the fullest. She became an avid gardener and volunteered with the Friends of Manito. She also volunteered at WSU Master Gardeners and was part of the Spokane Lilac Society. In addition, she and Dick worked regularly with the Lions' Club and for exercise they did Volksmarching. Volksmarching took them to every state in the union, some countries in Europe, New Zealand, Africa, and Jordan! She was a lifelong learner and worked tirelessly in addition to being the healthiest person we knew. Geraldine was a devoted mother and wonderful grandma. She did not believe in regret and was committed to excellence in everything she did.

Geraldine was preceded in death by her father, mother, and her first born son, Mark Koller Sr. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 40 years, Dick Odell; her sister Charlotte Wilkerson, brother Charles William (Mary Jo) Goddard; children David (Debi) Koller, Kaye (Blaine) Wood, Karen Sutton, Jim Odell, Jerry Koller, Barbara Dye; and grandchildren Greg Koller, Aaron Koller, Kevin Koller, Mark Koller Jr, Elizabeth Jacob, Kari Lloyd and Elizabeth Odell and great grandchildren. A memorial/celebration of her life will be in the spring. We will dearly miss her.

Published by Spokesman-Review on Dec. 4, 2022.
 

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/spokesman/name/geraldine-odell-obituary?id=38299995