John E. Youngblood III

John E. Youngblood III, or Johnny as his friends and family called him, age 76, of Odessa, Texas, passed away on March 25, 2025. He was born on September 28, 1948, in Riverside, California. In his early childhood, he moved with his parents and brother to West Texas, where the family eventually settled in Monahans.

Johnny attended Monahans High School and graduated in 1966. In 1969, he was drafted into the United States Army and proudly served his country during the Vietnam War as a heavy vehicle driver. Following his military service, he returned to West Texas and built a long and respected career in the oil fields, eventually becoming a skilled oilfield welder.

Johnny was a man of deep curiosity and quiet passion. He loved the outdoors and spent countless hours hunting arrowheads in the sand dunes of West Texas. His interest in archaeology and paleontology led him to build a remarkable personal collection of Native American artifacts—enough, his family often joked, to start a museum of his own. He was also fascinated by the night sky and astronomy. On clear evenings, he could often be found in his front yard, gazing through his telescope, exploring the mysteries of the universe.

In honor of that lifelong love of space, his family has arranged for a symbolic portion of his ashes to be flown aboard the Celestis Serenity Flight, launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 2026. He will orbit the Earth for several years before returning home as a shooting star — a fitting tribute to a man who always looked toward the heavens with wonder.

Johnny is survived by his son, Colby Youngblood, and his daughter-in-law Myrna, of Spring, Texas; his brother Timothy Youngblood of Nixa, Missouri; his niece Karen Youngblood-Perry, also of Nixa, Missouri; his two grandchildren, Colby Jr. and Conner Youngblood, both of Spring, Texas; and his lifelong friends, Danny and Rhonda Gallagher, and their son Zachary, of Monahans, Texas, who held a special place in his life and were like family to him.

He will be remembered for his quiet strength, curiosity, love of learning, and the deep pride he held for his family and his country. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched and the skies he so deeply admired.