Watch Live Stream

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.