Donald Carter Oden, age 94, of Tulsa, OK sadly passed away from a heart attack on August 18, 2022, in his home at the Montereau Retirement Community.

Don was born in Snyder, OK on May 24, 1928, to Reverend John W. Oden and Mary R. (Carter) Oden. He graduated from Sayre High School in 1946 and attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 1950 with a degree in business administration. While attending OU he was a member of the RUF/NEKS, a spirit club for OU football. During the summer of 1949, with the help of his parents and friends, he built the very first Sooner Schooner that was pulled by the RUF/NEKS as a mascot. He remained an avid OU fan ever since.

Upon graduation, Don worked for the Panhandle Insurance Agency in Amarillo, Texas where he met Helen Marie Hughes. They were married on February 17, 1950 and remained deeply in love for the next 67 years until Helen's passing on June 1, 2017. In 1960 they moved with their three sons to Tulsa, Oklahoma where Don went to work for the Joe L. Williams Insurance agency, which later became Oden, Mattern & Apker, Inc. In 1975, the company was sold to Alexander & Alexander, Inc., where he remained until retiring in 1995. In 1988, Don and Helen formed ODEN Insurance Services, Inc., specializing in serving the regulatory compliance needs of insurance companies.  Along with sons, Bill, and Jim, they built the company into a nationally recognized firm which was sold in 2007 to Thompson Reuters.

Don's passions included flying (acquiring his Private Pilot Certificate at age 17), snow skiing with the family in Aspen, numerous ocean cruises and six decades of fun with family and friends on Grand Lake where he and Helen owned numerous properties and boats from 1962 to the present.  They enjoyed memberships at Southern Hills, Oaks and Shangri-La golf clubs.

He was truly an entrepreneur at heart, always looking for opportunities.  He would look at a process and think, "there has to be a better way".  This mindset opened many ventures that he was involved with throughout his lifetime.  Don chronicled his life and these ventures in his autobiography, "My Life Story as an Entrepreneur and More."

Above all else, Don was a loving husband, father, uncle, grandfather, and great grandfather.  Regardless of your role in life, he treated everyone equally and with respect.  He was a generous person who always gave from his heart.  He regularly gave to multiple charities and personally helped those in need while expecting nothing in return.

Surviving family members include three sons, Steve Oden (Bev); Bill Oden (Barbara), both of Tulsa; Jim Oden (Sherry) of Broken Arrow; ten grandchildren, nineteen great-grandchildren, Brother-in-law Jim Quetone of Tahlequah, OK and sister-in-law Jeanne Oden of Costa Rica.

For the past four plus years he enjoyed the loving companionship of Joyce Roodman who together attended functions at Montereau, the Tulsa Men's Club, trips sponsored by Mabry bank, and cruises with the family.

He is preceded in death by his wife Helen Marie (Hughes) Oden, his parents, brothers Lowell, Leroy and Doyle Oden, sisters Doris Jones and Reba Quetone, and great grandchildren Bryson James Oden and Zoe Marie Oden.

Don will be missed beyond belief by so many.  His life blessed family, friends, and countless others. He was an entrepreneur at heart who focused on the possible and followed his dreams to fruition. If he were here to advise you, he would say, "you can accomplish anything you set your mind to achieve and if someone has done something beneficial for you, remember to pay it forward."

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at 2:00pm at Stanleys Funeral Home at 3959 E 31 ^st Street, Tulsa, OK 74135.

In leu of flowers, donations may be made to John 3:16 Mission or Meals on Wheels.