Elinor Rose O’Dell (née Edwards), 85, of Beckley, West Virginia, born February 2, 1941 in South Charleston, WV, passed away peacefully at Raleigh General Hospital on June 8, 2026.

Elinor Rose Edwards married the love of her life, the late James “Jim” Carroll O’Dell, on August 25, 1962. Together they shared 63 wonderful years of marriage and raised two sons, James Timothy O’Dell and Jonathan Thomas O’Dell, and had two grandchildren, Jonathan Tanner O’Dell and Thomas Aaron O'Dell.

To Elinor and Jim’s grandsons, they were Nana and Poppa.

Before becoming the guiding presence at the center of her family, Elinor worked as a lab technician at Thomas Memorial Hospital, as a manager at RGIS Inventory, and she later spent what little free time she had as a saleswoman for Avon.

Elinor was, above all else, a devoted mother. She ensured that her sons and grandsons had someone that they could always rely on in their times of need. Whether that meant lending her ear to their troubles and providing much-needed guidance, or giving a reluctant grandson car rides to school; she was always where she was needed most.

Elinor was a renowned cook; her food was always the highlight of any family gathering. She could create any dish, had myriad recipes of her own making, and no matter what she made, it was always delicious. Second servings were always a given, and on the rare occasion that there were any leftovers, they were fought over like gold.

Elinor kept her home on Maxwell Hill spotless, sparkling, and meticulously decorated for every season, much to the delight of her grandsons. It was a place they knew they would always be able to visit whenever they needed respite from the hardships of life, where they knew they would be doted on, where they could truly forget their troubles.

She is survived by her sons Tim and Tom, and her grandsons Tanner and Thomas.

A private service will be held at Cunningham Memorial Park in St. Albans, WV.