Jesse Leo Littlefield
It is with great sadness that the family of Jesse Leo Littlefield announces his passing on May 26, 2025. He was 89. Jesse was born on October 21, 1935, to Bernice Garner and Lucy Littlefield in Tokio, Texas. He is preceded in death by his parents and his son, Anthony Garner (Tony). Left to cherish his memories are his wife of 63 years, Bernadette (Oxford); daughters Terri Miller (husband Mike) and Sherri Marx (husband Jeff); sister Francis Tindel (husband Benny); grandchildren Bryan Turner (wife Claire), Bailey Johnson (husband Tomas), Michael Miller, Lewis Marx, Oliver Marx, and Grace Marx; 5 great-grandchildren; and numerous other family and friends.
A graduate of the Ropesville High School class of 1954, Jesse was a veteran of the U. S. Army, having been drafted twice and serving in Germany and Fort Polk, Louisiana. He retired from the Lubbock, Texas, Fire Department, where his final assignment was driving the chief. While working as a fireman, he supplemented his income by restoring furniture and selling Matco Tools.
After his career as a firefighter, he and Bernadette built a truly incredible entertainment complex. Fun City of Odessa was a favorite place for thousands of people. It included a go-kart track, water slide, game room, mini-golf course, remote controlled boats, and soft-serve ice cream. Jesse’s skills as a master of all trades and a creative genius were on full display with beautiful landscaping, bridges, rivers, caves, and waterfalls he designed and built by hand. Fun City was a veritable oasis in the desert land of west Texas.
Upon retiring from his second career, Jesse and Bernadette created a beautifully landscaped home on Hubbard Creek Lake. It was there that they have kept incredibly busy. In addition to maintaining their five-acre park-like property, Bernadette spends many days in her stained glass studio, while Jesse could always be found in his wood shop. He was a truly amazing master woodworker, not only in skill, but in creativity. He didn’t just build tables, cabinets, clocks, and such; everything he did was a work of art. His eclectic (eccentric?) imagination never ceased to impress, amaze, and enthrall visitors. Not only did he know how to use and manipulate wood, but his use of color (and for a brief time, glitter) revealed a real artist’s mind.
Jesse was also known for his clever and witty sense of humor. He was always twisting words and phrases and making (mostly appropriate) comments to bring some levity and keep everyone guessing. It always took a few seconds to figure out if he was being serious or not. He usually wasn’t. One of his favorite things was to try to fool others into thinking he wasn’t as brilliant as he truly was. He also loved to spin all kinds of yarns on the woodworking sites he frequented. We are sorry if you believed every story he told.
People always liked Jesse immediately. He was a natural people-person with an easy way about him. He was honest and always eager to listen to and learn from others. His sense of humor and inquisitive nature engendered warm feelings from friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike. If you knew Jesse, you will miss him.
