Odell Dalton

Dr. Graham Odell Dalton Jr., 78, of Waynesville, died on Thursday, May 28, 2026.

Born August 18, 1947 in Hope Mills, Odell was the son of the late Graham Odell Dalton Sr. and Ruth Jackson Dalton. He was also preceded in death by his beloved wife, Linda Dalton, and his brother, Andy Dalton.

He is survived by his loving wife, Tiffany Dalton; son, Frank Dalton and Juliette; son, Gary Godwin and Gnell; daughter, Dina Lane and Billy; daughter Taylor; grandchildren Trent, Molly, Julia, Dalton and Savanna; brother, David Dalton and Paula McKeag; brother, Mark Dalton and Lynne; sister, Kelly Dalton and Peter Cashwell; many nieces and nephews; and a host of other family and friends.

Odell grew up in Cumberland Mill Village where he excelled in baseball as both a shortstop and a pitcher. He graduated in 1965 from Hope Mills High School where he was a starter on the basketball team and was active in numerous clubs including Key and Beta Clubs. He also followed in his mother’s footsteps as editor of the school paper.

He attended North Carolina State University in the pre-veterinary program, where he was a member of Delta Sigma and was accepted to the University of Georgia veterinary school after only three years of undergraduate work instead of the usual four. He graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1972, and became a lifelong member of the Wolfpack Club and the Georgia Bulldog Club.

Upon graduation from veterinary school he joined his uncle Dr. Dennis Jackson at what was then the Circle J Animal hospital. Eventually the name changed to Central Animal Hospital and Odell took over the practice and ran it until his retirement. He also helped start Cumberland County’s first 24-hour emergency vet clinic. He served as chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Health.

Odell was a gifted artist, a lifelong athlete, and an enthusiastic outdoorsman. His love of nature, especially birds, was shown in his paintings which graced several art galleries in the Waynesville area, and in his gorgeous original Christmas cards. His list for these lovely cards swelled to over 300 recipients! He was also an avid fly fisherman, and this love inspired epic travel, including to Montana, Alaska and Argentina. He was a longtime member of Highland Country Club and scored the amateur golfer’s biggest triumph, a hole-in-one. (With witnesses!)

He was a talented, kind, and well-loved man. He will be missed by every community he was a part of, and most of all by his big family and his many friends.

Burial will be private. A public Celebration of Life will take place at Pinecrest Funeral and Cremation Services, 4721 Dunrobin Drive, Hope Mills, NC, at noon on Friday June 5, with visitation immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the NC State Wolfpack Club.

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