Honoring Our Legacy: In Memoriam
At SDI, our team have always been at the heart of everything we do. As we reflect on our journey, we take a moment to honor the memory of those who have been integral to our success and growth. This page is a tribute to the individuals whose dedication, passion, and hard work left a lasting impact on our company. Their contributions continue to inspire us, and their legacy lives on through the values and achievements we uphold today. We remember and celebrate their lives and the mark they have left on our community.
Buddy Brown
Buddy was the territory manager for the Southeast and Florida region. Buddy loved all things “water”. Needless to say, he loved diving, spear fishing, fishing, and most any kind of boating. Years ago, Buddy, along with his wife and daughter, lived and cruised on a 35 foot ketch rigged Morgan sailboat for an extended time. He was in the business of SCUBA ever since. Buddy was an avid reader and enjoyed jogging and biking, and of course, spending time with grandkids. Buddy developed many friendships with his customers over the years, and received great satisfaction from helping them be successful in their businesses. He was very proud to have his son, Joey, and daughter, Jennifer working with him in this business.
Austin Overton
Austin was one of the web developers at International Training. Programming was a long time passion and hobby of his and he spent a good bit of time outside of work learning new tech and coding side projects. When he wasn’t programming he enjoyed SCUBA diving with the office crew and spending time with family. While his work was flawless his addition to the team will always be remembered for an ability to unify and his contagious laugh. Along with the skill to unite, Austin kept the office on its toes with quick and clever comebacks. Never making any mistakes, blame for coincidences and random errors were always, and are still, attributed to Austin. Austin routinely stopped his whole world to put others first with his genuine ability to listen and give out the best advice. Always remembered, loved, and part of our family.
Joe Odom
Joe Odom was a revered figure in the diving community, a pioneer who made significant contributions to the development of technical diving education and safety standards. His legacy lives on through the countless divers who have benefited from his knowledge and expertise. Joe worked mostly behind the scenes, he was incredibly private, but for those who had the pleasure of listening to one of his presentations or the fortunate few who took a course from him, know his depth of knowledge and experience was limitless. Joe had the ability to take complex subjects and present them in a way anyone could understand. If a listener or student needed more in-depth information, he could do that too. Joe was an incredible educator, dive buddy and most importantly, friend. If you are doing anything in technical diving now, you can thank Joe.
Bret Gilliam
Bret Gilliam, a true titan in the diving world, left an indelible mark on the industry. His pioneering spirit, entrepreneurial acumen, and unwavering passion for the underwater realm have inspired countless divers. Bret’s contributions to diving are immeasurable. As a co-founder of TDI, he played a pivotal role in shaping the standards and practices for technical diving. Beyond his diving exploits, he was a prolific writer and entrepreneur. His ability to share his knowledge and experiences with the world through books, articles, and magazines has educated and entertained divers for generations. More than all his contributions and accolades, he was a mentor and a fiercely loyal friend, if you could tolerate his banter and humor. The diving industry is standing on the shoulders of Bret’s work.