Obituary of Odele I. Mouzon

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ODELE L. CONRAD MOUZON (Age 98)
Sunrise December 9, 1926 – Sunset January 10, 2025

Odele Louise Mouzon passed away on January 10, 2025, at her home in Washington, DC. She
was born in Clay, Texas, to Joseph, aka C.O. Conrad, and Cleo Walton on December 9, 1926. In
addition to her parents, Odele was predeceased by her late husband, Ralph Leon Mouzon; her
beloved daughter, the late Millicent (Mille) Yvonne Mouzon-Johnson; her sisters Rose Wadley
and Ruby Bryant; and brother, George Mason. She leaves to cherish her most devoted daughter,
Jan Ellen Mouzon, granddaughter Racquel Monica Johnson, grandson Ralph Mouzon Johnson,
sister Bernadine Conrad Wilturner, and nephew Sean Conrad Wilturner.
Odele was raised in Houston, Texas, where her father was a Brakeman for the Southern Railroad
Co. While living in Houston’s third ward, Odele resided with the Shelton family from age four
until she graduated from Jack Yates High School. She continuously maintained a strong bond
with her aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family members who migrated to Houston. Upon
graduation, Odele briefly attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., and immediately set
her sights on Howard University in Washington, DC. During the summers while attending
Howard, she worked for the Swil Manufacturing Company in Philadelphia, PA. She designed
several pieces, one of which was selected to manufacture U.S. Army shirts during WWII. Odele
had a zest for life. She was an excellent communicator, a visionary with a keen eye for interior
design, skilled in fashion design, and understood fabric—to a fault. Visitors to her home were
always impressed.
Odele Conrad married Ralph Leon Mouzon, a WWII veteran and educator with the DC Public
School System in 1951. She was a dedicated wife and loving mother to her two girls, Jan and
Millie, and also worked for the U.S. Information Agency for thirty-three years. In 1957, Odele
and Ralph Mouzon were the first African Americans to open a coin-operated laundromat in
Washington, DC. Odele worked with her husband to expand the business, and their facilities
remained open for over twenty years. Early in her career, it became apparent that Odele had been
blessed with an innate talent for business and finance. Ralph and Odele were civic-minded
individuals who maintained strong affiliations with their respective civic associations for many
years. Odele was a member of her neighborhood block Club for over 60 years. Amid it all,
Ralph and Odele still found time to enjoy their favorite pastime--Traveling and playing
tournament Duplicate Bridge. Odele rosed to the Dimond level before she could no longer play
cards. They ensured they did not miss an opportunity for their girls to visit at least one different
state within the U.S. each year during summer vacation, including Hawaii and the neighboring
countries of Canada & Mexico.
The Mouzon Family joined Plymouth Congregational, United Church of Christ (UCC), in 1964
and participated extensively in most of the church activities. Soon after joining, Ralph Mouzon
was appointed Deacon and subsequently Deacon Emeritus. Their daughters vigorously
participated in Church youth Activities, and Odele became a member of the “Plymothite” and
December Calendar Clubs. Eventually, Odele was selected to serve as a delegate of Plymouth
Congregational, UCC, to the Plenary Body of UCC, The Potomac Association, and held many
positions within the organization from 1980 through the mid-1990s. Most notably, Odele was
the board chairman of the Ecumenical Campus Ministry/UDC for several years. She was then
nominated and elected as the Potomac Association’s Higher Education Committee Chairman.
She worked tirelessly with senior representatives from the University of Maryland, George
Washington University, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), and the University of
the District of Columbia to collaborate and discuss ecumenical campus activities metropolitan-
wide. At one point, she was Chairman of the Finance Committee. Mrs. Odele Mouzon ended her
work with the Potomac Association in 1996 and was highly esteemed for planning one of the
Association’s best Annual meetings.
Odele Mouzon had a zest for life. She began to travel the world after her husband’s death in
1984. She visited six of the seven continents, with visits to many of the significant landmarks:
Alaska, Italy, Spain, Greece, Germany, The Rock of Gibraltar, The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, The
Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Sidney Australia, Hong Kong China and Japan, Bangkok, Thailand,
West Africa, South Africa and South America to name a few. She loved shopping in Rio De
Janeiro, and she went back twice. She kept us laughing about how she lost track of time and saw
her tour bus driving away. She ran down the streets of Caracas, Venezuela, chasing her tour bus
until it finally stopped to pick her up. Odele was always good for a laugh until one day she
stopped…
For ten years, Odele could not walk and eventually stopped speaking, but stayed alert and
communicated well. She maintained her sense of humor and could make you smile during her
darkest days. She will be deeply missed by all those who crossed her path.