RJ Brinlee

R.J Brinlee

R.J Brinlee ‘Pops’ was born on June 9th, 1934, in Collin County Texas into the excited arms of his parents, Raymond and Viva (Arrington) Brinlee.

He passed peacefully at the age of 91 from the arms of his loving and devoted family into the glorious and eternal arms of Jesus on August 6th, 2025.

A graveside service celebration of his long and beautiful life will be held on Tuesday, August 12th at 10:00am at Sunset Memorial Gardens with Taylor Robles officiating.

R.J moved to Odessa, Texas with his family as a young boy, where he grew up attending Ector County schools and graduated with so many of his friends from Odessa High School. After graduation he was enlisted in the United States Navy where he served on several ships.

After his service in the Navy, he returned to Odessa and married the love of his life, Wanda Lee Jordan in 1954. They remained married for just shy of 68 years upon her passing in September of 2022.

During his career, R.J worked in the oilfields of West Texas starting as a pumper as a young man and continued to progress to the position of regional manager of the entire southwestern area. Upon retiring from the oilfield at a young age, he and Wanda Lee established the RJB Ranch in Llano County where they ran cattle, watched many sunrises and sunsets on their vast front porch and declared their land as a natural game preserve. They lived many happy years there.

R.J is preceded in death by his wife, Wanda Lee, his parents, Raymond and Viva, his sister, Elizabeth Ann Brinlee, brother, Bill Brinlee, great-grandson, Wyatt Augustus Grohman, and brother-in-law's, Jon Hubbs, Michael Jordan and Stan Jordan.

Surviving R.J is his son, Randal Jay Brinlee, daughter, Kelly Brinlee-Kinnaird (Clay), brothers, Wayne Brinlee (Angela), Dan Brinlee (Jennifer), sister-in-law, Linda Hubbs, grandson, Angus McMillion, granddaughter, Sara Grohman (Lonnie), great grandsons, Weston Grohman ‘little boy’, Waylon Grohman ‘Gray’ and several nieces and nephews.

En lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the National Kidney Foundation and Humane Society of Odessa.

The family of R.J Brinlee wishes to extend our sincerest gratitude to The Parks Senior Living facility for all their assistance and love.

Final thought:

Your days will be glorious now Pops…and ours will be ‘tolerable’ as we learn to live with our new normal.