Rufus Odell Gilreath, age 91 years, 3 months, and 20 days, of Pine Knot, Kentucky passed away Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at the East Kentucky Veterans Center in Hazard and was taken into the care of Hickman-Strunk Funeral Home. Private funeral services were held Saturday, March 28, 2020 at 11:00 am at the Pine Knot Cemetery with Bro. Dennis Bryant officiating. Burial was in the Pine Knot Cemetery. He was born December 5, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan to Rufus Gilreath and Linnie Neal Gilreath. Odell taught school in the Jones Hollow and Sawyer communities and then was drafted into the United States Army to serve in the Korean War. Upon his return, he taught in the Bell Farm community school. He was a member of the Pleasant Run Methodist Church. Odell enjoyed farming and working with cattle. When he wasn't farming, he also enjoyed reading and traveling. Preceding him in death were his parents, his beloved wife, Jim Gilreath whom he married February 20, 1953, an infant brother, Kinder, and sisters, Nora Mae Fannin, Oaklaree Ballou, and Betty Lee Sosby. Survivors include a daughter, Regina Irvin and her husband, Gilbert of Pine Knot, sons, Clay Gilreath and his wife, Doris, and Marion Gilreath and his wife, Lisa, all of Pine Knot, a sister, Georgia Ruth Potts, grandchildren, Ashley Spradlin and her husband, Jason, Ben Irvin and his wife, Nikki, Amber Jones and her husband, Aaron, Tyler Gilreath and his wife, Miranda, and Tamara Gilreath, and nine great grandchildren. HIckman-Strunk Funeral Home was honored to serve the family of Odell Gilreath.