Feb. 2, 1940 — Oct. 8, 2021
Maureen Margaret Orr, 81, of Orton, passed away peacefully on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge. She was born on Feb. 2, 1940 in Calgary John McNally and Patricia Monaghan, the oldest and only daughter of seven children.
Maureen was raised in Calgary with her biological family attending school at Bowview Elementary. At the age of 12, she was adopted by the Vance family from Rosemary, and attended the Rosemary school. In April of her Grade 11 year, the Vance family moved to Calgary and she finished her schooling that year at Crescent Heights high school. Her Grade 12 year was spent at Queen Elizabeth high school.
On March 27, 1958, Maureen Margaret McNally (Vance) married Lynn Dean Orr in the Cardston Temple. Together they lived in Calgary, Lethbridge, and in April 1960, moved to Orton, where Lynn made his living farming and raising cattle and Maureen was a homemaker.
Maureen was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved the gospel and was always reading and studying it. She had an undaunting faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and always commented, “The Lord has never failed me.” She had an unshakeable testimony and was never afraid to share her beliefs. She had a way about her that she could easily talk to others and was always welcoming to people of all religions. Maureen served two missions with her husband, Lynn; one in 1989 to the Family History Department in Salt Lake City, Utah and the second, a proselyting and temple mission in 1994 to Atlanta, Georgia.
Maureen was an example of loving others, showing kindness, forgiveness, generosity, and consistently giving all she had to help those in need. She was always donating clothes, toys, or money to the less fortunate, especially to children in need. She had such a kind heart. These attributes were borne out of all she had faced in her life, never complaining about her hardships as a child or health issues she suffered as an adult, but always looked forward with happiness and a good attitude.
Maureen loved her heritage of being Irish. She loved Celtic dancing and Irish music. Never a parade went by that she wasn’t up on her feet and cheering for the pipe bands. She enjoyed searching out her family history and her greatest desire was to find her biological family in Scotland. This finally came true for her the last year or so of her life and she was immensely overjoyed over this in renewing this connection.
Maureen is survived by her children, Bernard Lloyd Orr of Raymond, Norma Jean Orr of Fort Macleod, Lori LaRee Orr Thomas (Bryan) of Orem, Utah and Joanne Rae Orr Briggs (Jon) of Bountiful, Utah; as well as 10 grandchildren, Kristen, Kyle, Tyler, Jordan, Kaitlyn, Jessica, Dylan, Claire, Calli, and Kennadie, and nine great granddaughters, Morgan, Indie, Willa, Rea, Emory, Sienna, Elizabeth, Violet, and Arianna. Maureen is also survived by her brothers, Ronald William MacDonald of Ritzville, WA, James Michael McDonald of Kennewick, WA, and Richard “Rick” Norman Murphy of Taber, and her adopted siblings, Paul James Vance of Ottawa, Emma Janeen Gough of Balzac, Melvin Jay Vance of Orem, UT, Linda Louise White Olsen of Calgary, and Peter Douglas Vee Vance of Rigaud, Que.
Maureen is preceded in death by her parents, John McNally and Patricia Monaghan (Beisel); her adopted parents, Byron and Jennie Vance; her husband, Lynn Dean Orr; her son, Darren Lynn Orr; her granddaughter, Janelle Frances Harris; her great granddaughter, Paetyn Lynn Thomas; as well as her brothers, Bernard Crawford McNally Wynder, Rand Dennis McNally, and Peter McNally; and her adopted brothers, Richard Byron Vance, John Abram Vance and Hugh Vance.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022, at the Fort Macleod LDS Church, 643 20th St., Fort Macleod. All friends and family are invited to attend. For those unable to attend, live-streaming of the service will be available as a link and will appear below this obituary, on the Web site, at 10:45 a.m. the morning of the service. Interment was performed previously on Oct. 16, 2021 in the Orton Cemetery.
To share condolences or view live-streaming, please visit www.generationsfh.ca.