Oden Institute Mourns Barbara Oden, Wife of Founding Director

Barbara C. Oden, 80, wife, mother, grandmother, and respected estate sales purveyor, died Nov. 8, 2023. Barbara, who was a remarkable woman in her own right, was the wife to J. Tinsley Oden, founding director of the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin.

Born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, Barbara embodied a spirit that resonated with everyone who had the honor of knowing her, according to her obituary. Referred to as the beating heart of both her own family and the academic family created by her husband, she fostered relationships with Institute faculty, staff, and students through the years. Those long-lasting relationships were evident at a recent memorial service held in September for her husband, with many former students, now professors, fondly greeting Barbara. Her husband, Dr. J. Tinsley Oden, preceded her in death on August 27, 2023.

The legendary Institute picnic retreats, which began more than 30 years ago, were hosted by Barbara and J. Tinsley Oden at their hill country ranch. The annual event to which faculty, students, researchers, and staff, along with their respective families were invited, laid the foundation for fostering relationships and building a sense of community at the unique interdisciplinary institute. Barbara often served as the de-facto matriarch to many a foreign graduate student far from home. The retreats, which started out small with only a few dozen attendees, grew alongside the expanding Institute, with well over a hundred people in attendance at the Oden Ranch in 2022.

Tarek Zohdi, a former Ph.D student of Dr. Oden’s, recalled meeting Barbara at one of the infamous picnics, noting it was a great way to bond and build connections with faculty, students, and researchers. “She was like a mother to me. She was truly an exceptionally warm person who complemented Tinsley in almost every way - they were a great team that made the Institute a fantastic place to learn and conduct research. She provided an invaluable extra feature to the institute - an altruistic warmth that you would not get elsewhere. She was a lovely person in every way. Tinsley, and by extension, the Oden Institute, would not have reached the stratospheric heights attained without her,” said Zohdi, a professor and Associate Dean for Research at UC Berkeley. 

“Rarely have I met someone with such kindness, generosity, frankness, spontaneity, good spirit, and humor. She was an inspiration to embrace life wholeheartedly and without reserve,” said Serge Prudhomme, a former student at the Institute who graduated in 1999, now a professor at Polytechnique Montréal. He first met Barbara at one of the picnics and attended at least ten more through the years.

Prudhomme attended the Institute’s 50th anniversary celebration in September 2023. “Following the event, Barbara, who was in attendance, spontaneously invited me and a few other alumni for a simple dinner afterwards,” said Prudhomme. During their conversation, he mentioned he was organizing a minisymposium in memory of Dr. Oden to be held in 2024, and she immediately said she would love to attend. “That’s how Barbara was, and how I will remember her – always ready for a new adventure!”

Leszek Demkowicz, Assistant Director of the Oden Institute, first met Barbara and J. Tinsley Oden in 1980. By 1983, Demkowicz began his postdoctoral work at the Institute and said that Barbara “had the human touch, even though she may have sometimes come across as bossy, she was truly a very warm, courageous, and loving person.” He added that while no one moment stands out, it’s like family, all the small moments spent together through the years created a bond. Tinsley, who was both his mentor and colleague, along with Barbara became like family. “My wife and I spent many dinners with the Odens through the years, and Barbara was there for us, for our family, in so many ways.”

“She always made everyone feel welcomed and at home, with her graciousness, and the picnics brought us together in a relaxed environment and helped create a better-knit collegial community. She also had a razor-sharp wit, always ready with a clever response,” said Oden faculty member Omar Ghattas, who echoed the sentiments of others. Ghattas recalled meeting Barbara at the ranch in 2005, just prior to joining the UT Faculty. 

“It has been a somber time at the Institute, with the passing of Barbara in such close proximity to Tinsley’s death last August.” said Karen Willcox, Director of the Oden Institute. “The support Barbara provided Tinsley during his career, combined with the kindness she showed to so many students, cannot be replaced. We can all honor Barbara’s legacy by continuing to reinforce the strong sense of community found at the Institute.” 

While many at the Oden Institute knew her fondly as the wife and supportive partner of J. Tinsley Oden, Barbara had many interests of her own, including a lengthy career in estate sales for nearly three decades. She had a lifelong love of antiques and valued these treasures with respect and kindness reflective of their former owners.

Barbara is survived by her daughter Lee (Nick), grandson Tanner, brother Charles E. Smith, and extended family and numerous friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, J. Tinsley Oden, and her son, Walker. To view the full obituary, click here.