Bellevue mourns loss of local icon

BELLEVUE — "There is a history in all men's lives." No man knew the truth of that line by William Shakespeare better than Bellevue's unofficial historian, Bill Oddo, who died Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 88. "He was driven and very passionate about his community and family," said Patty Oddo, his youngest daughter. "Any time anybody needed to know something about Bellevue, they would come to him. He knew something about everything." Oddo, a lifelong Bellevue resident, joined the Navy after graduating from Bellevue High School in 1950. In 1957, he married his wife, Beverly, with whom he raised seven children. "He served his country for four years and then served his family and community for the rest of his life," said Curt Oddo, Bill's son. He eventually opened a barbershop in heart of the downtown, where he became known for providing the best "flattop" haircut in town. "His love for history started there. His barbershop was one of those places where people would just come in to talk," Curt said. "He'd listen to people tell their stories, and he could remember it all." "People would go to the library looking for information about their family history, and the librarian would tell them to go down the street to see the barber," Curt added. He recalls his father telling him and his siblings the history of Bellevue through stories. "He had the art of storytelling down," Curt said. "He'd have you from the first sentence. It was his way to make sure we'd carry it on because he believed to move forward, you have to know where you came from." One story that sticks out in his memory is how his father grew up near the train tracks and hopped on the trains' cabooses to visit relatives in Norwalk. Stories of Old Bellevue As he dug deeper into Bellevue's history, he'd often visit the Bellevue Gazette to look at its microfilm archive. "We, at the Gazette, always referred to Bill as 'Bellevue's officially unofficial historian' because he was a constant source of information on the people, the places, and the events within the city," said Sally Boyd, the newspaper's lifestyle editor until 2014. In the 1980s, he started writing a column, "Stories of Old Bellevue," that would run in the paper until the Gazette printed its final issue in 2016. "Readers loved his column," Boyd said. "People frequently would call the paper researching their history, and we would always call Bill. He always knew, and if he didn't, he would dig up the information." Boyd has fond memories of working with Bill and editing his columns, which he always turned in handwritten on a yellow legal pad. "He was passionate about the city's history, often calling people all over the country to dig deeper," Boyd said. "The results were his columns for the Gazette, which became the basis for his six books. Much of that was simply an outgrowth of his love for everything Bellevue." Most of the proceeds from his books went to the Bellevue Historical Society, which he co-founded. Boyd remembers Bill helping her and the editor of the Gazette at the time clean out the office as it closed. They donated several items to the historical society. He was also instrumental in several organizations, including coaching sports, the local Catholic schools, the Huron County Public Defender Board and the Bellevue Recreation Board. "Bill certainly made an impact," Boyd said. "His work will live on as long as there are records." Bill was also known for his cooking talent and the wine he used to make. After Boyd helped him save his wine from a flood, he thanked her with a 10-gallon keg of the most potent wine she'd ever had. A family man until the end Boyd remembers her friend as a dedicated family man who loved his wife and doted upon his children and grandchildren's accomplishments, especially his granddaughter, Grace. "He often bragged about Grace, who has a beautiful voice," Boyd said. "I know he was smiling down at his funeral when Grace sang, leaving nearly everyone, including me, wiping our eyes." As his health declined, Bill's family planned on moving him from The Bellevue Hospital to Stein Hospice in Sandusky. He died before the transfer could happen. He took his final breath in Bellevue, the same town where he was born, raised his family, and dedicated his life to documenting its history. "My father is everything Bellevue. He's an icon here, and he'd want his story to end in the town he loved," Patty said. "Nothing gives my family and me more peace than knowing that." "This town and community meant everything to him. He'd get homesick after leaving it for a day," Curt added. "His gift to the town was preserving its history. I'm so blessed to be his son."