Russ William Odegard September 18, 1966 - October 28, 2021 Loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend Russ William Odegard was born September 18, 1966, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was the loving son of Leonard and Doris Odegard. Russ attended East Buchanan school and graduated with the class of 1985. He attended Iowa State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology and graduated in 1990. He was employed at American Tower Inc. as a Deployment Manager. He married Rebecca Sabol in 2002 and has one daughter, Miranda. Russ died peacefully in his home in Tampa, Florida on October 28, 2021. Russ was a Judo competitor and instructor for 31 years and was head coach for 7 years at the University of South Florida. He was a well-respected mentor, and his students loved his presence. He loved sharing judo stories and the many friendships that were created throughout the years. Russ will be remembered for his ambition to learn new things. He was an engineer at heart and could build anything. Making people happy was his main goal, he told endless jokes and funny stories, and always brought positivity to any gathering. He always put family first and when he visited Iowa, his priority was being a devoted uncle by putting his nieces and nephews first. He loved the small moments of just being with family and being present in their lives. His welcoming warmth and humor made him many friends, new and old, and he made people around him feel safe and at ease. There was never a project he couldn’t complete, a problem he couldn’t solve, a hand he didn’t reach for, or a shared story that couldn’t turn things around for the better. His calming presence, perseverance, loyal friendship, and humor will be forever missed. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca Tonner Sabol; his daughter, Miranda Sabol, of Tampa, Florida; his sister, Lynn (Brett) Nickerson of North Liberty, IA; his brother, Wade (Kiley) Odegard, of Marion, IA; his sister, Jean (Leo) Caloud, of Hudson, IA; nephews Ryan, Kaleb, Holden, Caleb, & Logan; nieces Anna, Abby, Natalie, Nakai. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard & Doris Odegard, and his grandparents, William & Marian Schweitzer. In lieu of flowers, we request that memorial donations be made to the Judo Club at the University of South Florida (USF). Memorials and condolences may be sent to Lynn Nickerson, 1873 Goose Lake Circle, North Liberty, IA 52317. A private family service will be held in Iowa at a later date. Upcoming Events New Paragraph