Patricia M. (McIntyre) Odell

Patricia M. (McIntyre) Odell, recently of Wellfleet, MA, passed away peacefully on June 15, 2025—just ten days shy of her 86th birthday.

Pat was a lifelong lover of books, especially mysteries and nonfiction, and she took real joy in curating an extensive collection that filled shelves in every home she lived in. Her current library, built primarily during her years in Wellfleet with her daughter and son-in-law, was only a fraction of the many books she read throughout her life. Public libraries in Worcester, Montclair, and Wellfleet all benefited from her deep appreciation for reading.

She was also an accomplished home chef—a gift she remarkably was able to keep despite losing her sense of smell and much of her taste following sinus surgery years ago. Yet she continued to cook with flair and invention, somehow managing to please her family's eclectic palates time and again. Her kitchen experiments, particularly in the realm of desserts—pies, cakes, brownies, and various secret confections—were legendary (and nearly all delicious).

Pat had a passion for travel, which she indulged as much as circumstances allowed. While raising her three children, she made memorable trips to England and Ireland, interspersed with houseboat vacations and cross country motorhome adventures shared with close friends. In her 70s, she returned to Europe, traveling with dear friends, the McCarthys. Stories involving the McCarthys and her other close friends were always told with love and enthusiasm.

In retirement, Pat became more of a homebody after a fall left her with a broken wrist. Still, she found joy in her occasional walks around Wellfleet Harbor and weekly grocery runs. She could often be found in her favorite recliner with a book or laptop in hand, content and curious as ever.

Intellectually gifted and fiercely independent, Pat had little patience for foolishness. She was known to quiz nearly every visitor—especially those her children brought home—about their education. After graduating with honors from Emmanuel College in Boston, she earned master's degrees in both Psychology and Mathematics. Later she earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from Boston University so she could teach Statistics at the college level (Bryant University). Remarkably, she accomplished this while raising three teenagers who, at the time, did not fully appreciate the magnitude of her achievement.

Pat wasn't perfect—but her generosity always abided. This was especially apparent at Christmas time as she arrived for celebrations with overflowing bags of gifts. Her love for her family was deep and unwavering. In recent years, she expressed her pride and affection more openly, and her children, grandchildren, and siblings felt it keenly. Her goodbye hugs lingered with deep warmth. She will be profoundly missed.

She is survived by her three children: John Odell and his wife Nancy Baffa, Kathleen Korgen and her husband Jeff, and Michael Odell; her grandchildren: Neway and Conor Odell, and Julie and Jessica Korgen; her siblings: Tom McIntyre and his wife Beth, Bob McIntyre and his wife Nancy, Elizabeth McIntyre, and John McIntyre and his wife Nancy (yes, that's Nancys #1, #2, and #3), and numerous nieces and nephews. She was the eldest child of the late John and Margaret McIntyre and was predeceased by her siblings Michael, David, and James, and her grandchild Aiden.

A remembrance service for family and close friends will be held in Wellfleet on July 1st at 1:00 PM at the home she shared with Kathleen and Jeff Korgen: 20 Ryder Court, Wellfleet, MA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Pat's memory to Friends of the Wellfleet Library, Box 857, Wellfleet, MA 02667