Odell Barry — former Bronco, Northglenn mayor and prominent local businessman — dies at age 80

Odell Barry, the erstwhile Broncos subordinate and Northglenn politician who near an indelible interaction connected Denver, died Monday astatine the property of 80 aft a conflict with congestive bosom disease.

Barry archetypal made his sanction with the Broncos, but it was his post-football achievements that gilded his legacy. In 1980, helium became the archetypal Black elected politician successful a large metropolis successful Colorado. After his word was implicit Barry led a beingness affluent successful altruism, governmental activism, entrepreneurship and existent estate.

“He was a mentor, a supporter, and idiosyncratic who was a elephantine successful our assemblage and our state,” U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse said. “Here’s idiosyncratic who’s going to beryllium sorely missed. He was tenacious connected the tract arsenic a erstwhile shot subordinate and all-star athlete, but for me, what I’ll retrieve astir is his willingness to mentor and to enactment young Black men and women who were moving to effort to service the public.”

Born connected October 10, 1941, successful Memphis, Tenn., the Broncos took Barry retired of the University of Findlay (Ohio) successful the 19th circular of the 1964 American Football League draft.

Over 2 seasons, Barry appeared successful 26 games arsenic a instrumentality specializer and wideout, amassing 2,215 full instrumentality yards. As a rookie, helium returned a punt for a touchdown and led the league successful kickoff returns (47, inactive tied for archetypal successful Broncos history) and instrumentality yards (1,245, ranks second).

A hard deed successful his 2nd twelvemonth required surgery, leaving Barry with 1 kidney and a scar moving down his stomach, and ending his shot career. But Barry was conscionable getting started etching his bequest successful Northglenn, wherever helium precocious had a parkland named aft him.

He began arsenic the Northglenn recreation director, past moved into authorities — and became the proprietor of Colorado’s archetypal full-service Dairy Queen successful the aboriginal 1970s. Barry served connected the Northglenn City Council from 1972 to 1979 earlier being elected mayor, and past remained a large fig successful the Colorado Democratic Party aft leaving office. Along the mode helium took pridefulness successful organizing the Multiple Sclerosis Dinner of Champions for galore years and moving the Northglenn shot conditioning camp.

“His biggest bequest is what helium did for the youth,” said Barry’s son, Damon. “He mentored truthful galore younker successful Northglenn and the full state. Being an African-American antheral successful a predominately achromatic metropolis (like Northglenn), and being arsenic well-respected arsenic helium was successful the ’70s and that ne'er changing — that’s special. People of each colors and likes and creeds truly looked up to him and respected him. He utilized that (status) to assistance mold the adjacent generation.”

Among Barry’s galore proteges were Neguse and existent Denver politician Michael Hancock. Both recalled Barry’s proposal and networking opening doors for them arsenic young politicians.

“When I was moving for my archetypal governmental bureau (as CU regent), helium and (his wife) Glenda opened their doors and hosted 1 of my precise archetypal fundraising events for my campaign,” Neguse recalled. “The aforesaid held existent a decennary later, erstwhile I called to inquire for his assistance erstwhile I was moving to go the archetypal Black congressman successful our state. He was determination for maine again.

“But what makes that representation truthful unique, I suppose, is that it’s not uncommon. I’m 1 of many, galore young radical that helium helped and helium mentored and supported and gave clip to.”

Hancock credited Barry’s power successful helping prevention the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver successful the precocious 1990s, which successful crook enabled his emergence to the mayor’s office.

“He was an astute businessman, but much than that, helium carried a batch of h2o for (current Black politicians successful Colorado),” Hancock said. “Not lone for me, but for (Denver’s archetypal Black mayor) Wellington Webb too, rather frankly. Odell opened the doorway and helium desensitized Colorado to the information that African-Americans tin pb cities successful this state. Wellington Webb rode connected his shoulders, and I rode connected Wellington Webb’s shoulders, and it’s conscionable kept going. He was a (Black political) pioneer here.”

Neguse described Barry arsenic “a generous man” with his clip and resources, idiosyncratic with kindness and wit who “could marque you laugh, but helium could besides animate you to bash bigger things.”

“I deliberation of Odell arsenic a friend, and arsenic idiosyncratic who made a existent quality successful the gathering of a metropolitan Denver community,” Wellington Webb said. “Odell was intricate successful that arsenic is his family, his woman Glenda and present his sons. It’s a nonaccomplishment for maine personally and a nonaccomplishment for the assemblage arsenic a whole.”

Barry’s services are inactive being finalized. His ceremonial volition beryllium unfastened to the public.