Gladys Grace Orr died on Friday, July 31, after a brief illness. She was born Dec. 20, 1919, in West Babylon, N.Y., to John and Emily Oberholzer. She attended New Paltz University in New York and then taught grade school until she met U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer John Orr, marrying him in 1945, and starting a family while travelling the world.
She is dearly missed by her children: Susan Avakian and her husband Arra of Concord, Massachusetts; Gregory Orr and his wife Susan of Huntington Station, New York; Richard Orr and his wife Debbie of Huntington Station, New York; and John Orr and his wife Tanya Nichols of St. Croix. She is also survived by her brother, Jack Oberholzer; grandchildren: Wendi Murphy, Heidi Venice, Seth and Adam Avakian, Nikolas, Zakary, Casey and Jake Orr; great-grandchild, Jocelyn; and very good friends: Jinny Hall and Rose Bell.
Gladys Orr participated in many worthwhile endeavors on St. Croix, including the St. George Botanical Gardens, the St. Croix Orchid Society, the Republican Party and CareForce, which she particularly loved.
She will be remembered as a gentle and kind individual who worked hard to make sure everything she did was done the way it was supposed to be. She remained devoted to her children and grandchildren to the very end.
There will be a memorial service for her at 2 p.m., on Friday, Aug. 7, at the St. George Botanical Gardens.
If you would like to pay tribute to Gladys’ life in any way, a donation to the St. George Botanical Gardens or the St. Croix Orchid Society is something that she would have appreciated.