Pre-Obituary (Newspapers do it all the time) DRAFT(1)

Mr Michael Odd, 43 years of age, leaves his family; a wife of 14 years and their two cats (as of 8/2012), a younger sister, and their adoptive mother and father.  Born and raised in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area for most of his life, M.O. loved also to travel as is evident in the wide variety of work that he had chosen throughout his life.  Beyond the many Part-time jobs to get by in high school, he found a purpose at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) graduating in 1992, and leaving behind a legacy of increased environmental awareness and responsibility in both the administration and student population. With the initial formation of the Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA) and two terms as its president, recycling of solid and chemical waste on campus began in ernest. The SEA coordinated environmental promotion and citizen lobbying efforts which began with other Student Government Association members and later joined other colleges in the region on efforts in Annapolis and Washington D.C. [...] Support came from the miryad of jobs, including Blueprint Operator, Sub Shop/Pizza delivery, school and charter bus driver. [...] Volunteering four years at the UMBC campus radio station WUMD, he also worked at the school Shuttle Bus [...]
 Following graduation from UMBC he entered the workforce [...] Night manager at Kinko's, a Cook and sailor aboard the S.V. Lady Maryland, working for the Living Classrooms Foundation [...] from a water adventure on to land, he chose to work for various specialized art handling companies, traveling to 48 of the 50 United States (and parts of Canada) and as a freelance individual with the Maryland Historical Society and the Walters Art Gallery. He spent over seven years handling art and antiques. He even volunteered for Art Scape in Baltimore [...] With changes in budgets, he left the art handler world and worked gallery security, and eventually found an associate position with a local Private Investigator.[...] A stint working in parts supply, packing and shipping with a manufacturer of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) for government contracts. [...] a transition lead to baking at Whole Foods Market, in the interim before joining the United States Army [...]
 He entered th military late at the non-traditional age of 32, and trained as a Topographic Analyst (now Geospatial Engineer) until after his first deployment to Iraq and return to Germany [...] spent three years working US Army CID as a special agent before deciding to return to Geospatial Engineering. [...] Taking classes to be able to return to school, he aspired to become an Occupational Therapist following his time in the Army, with the dream of returnng as an officer, to be able to support and help Soldiers again.  To see that his dreams to have a positive impact on others and their lives may not have been realized professionally as an OT, but it must be said that he left a long and lasting impression upon others, and hopefully for the better.