Thomas Lee “Tom” Orr, 79, of Bradley County, TN, passed away Sunday, August 31, 2014 in a local health care facility.
He was the son of the late Robert Lee and Ollie Jane Bedwell Orr; and was also preceded in death by his loving wife, Mavis Louise Hall Orr; a daughter, Karen Denise Morris; and his siblings; Mary Ruth Calhoun, Benny Orr and Joyce Goodwin.
He was an active member of the Kinser Church of God where he served as clerk for many years. He served on several committees at the church including his involvement in the church’s food ministry and making peanut brittle to raise money for the church. He worked at the old Dixie Foundry later to become Magic Chef, and was also a well-known builder. Tom also worked at several grocery stores in the area including Gibson’s and Watsons Tip top as a meat cutter. He later became a co-owner with his brother Bobby Orr in a meat packing business. He was an active member of the Taylor Ruritan Club where he loved to work with their annual Rodeo and was an avid deer hunter. Tom did and accomplished many things in his life but his greatest accomplishment was his family and the love he had for them.
Tom is survived by his children, Lamar Orr and his wife Wanda of Cleveland and Diane Heil and her husband Ron of Cleveland; his grandchildren, Chris Heil, Israel Heil, Ginger Sumerlin, Tyler Orr and Amy Turner; ten great-grandchildren; his brother, Bobby Orr and his wife Charlotte of Cleveland; his sister, Phyllis Mitchell of Baltimore, MD; and many nieces and nephews.
A Remembrance of Life service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, September 3 at the North Ocoee St. Chapel of the Jim Rush Funeral Homes with Pastor Guinn Green officiating. The interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens with Howard Thompson, Jerry Stephens, Charles Cooper, Tony Caywood, Ben Milen and Keith Hall serving as casket bearers. Honorary casket bearers will be his great grandsons Titus Heil, Marcus Heil, Cael Sumerlin, Micah Sumerlin, Fisher Heil Tate Sumerlin, Elliott Orr and John Turner.
The Jim Rush Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.