Gerald (Jerry) Orr
1946 – 2005
 Jerry Orr was born December 10th, 1946 in Ottawa, Ontario. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Houghton College in Religion and Psychology in 1970 and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, in 1975. He was ordained by the Wesleyan Church and served as pastor to Wesleyan congregations in Powassan and Newington, Ontario and in Oak Park as well as Norridge, Illinois.
Jerry was a Certified Specialist in Pastoral Care and had been a member of CAPPE/ACPEP since 1988. He was also a Provisional Teaching Supervisor. Jerry began his clinical training in the United States. After he returned to Canada, he served as Director of Pastoral Care at Timmins and District Hospital for fifteen years. During that time he did more CPE Units and had Ted Poulter, Dirk Evans and Colin MacKinnon as mentors. From 1999 until the time of his death on February 3, 2005 he was Director of Pastoral Care at Huronia District Hospital in Midland, Ontario. In both Timmins and Midland Jerry offered extensive preparation for hospital visiting to lay people through Pastoral Visitor education programs. His colleagues noted that, as an administrator and provider of spiritual care, Jerry was deeply committed to excellence.
Jerry was a quiet and reflective man and was a great listener. His warmth, compassion and gentle wisdom were a great blessing to all who knew him. Jerry had an upstanding Christian character.
At the time of his death, his pastor and spiritual mentor described Jerry as “post-denominational”. He was so well-grounded in his own faith and faith tradition that he was able to be inclusive and respectful of people of all faiths and of those of no faith. He was very open to interfaith dialogue.
Another of his colleagues described him as one who had an understanding of people that was deeper than you could learn through any course. He had a deep love of people’s souls and could see beyond the hurt that was facing them.
Jerry loved the time he was able to spend at his cottage on Silver Lake near Kingston, Ontario. He had a canoe and loved to go out early in the morning, before the world woke up, to paddle alone and be renewed. This was a place where he found deep peace. As well, Jerry had a great gift for seeing the lighter side of things. He had a dry sense of humour and was notorious for his corny jokes.
Gerald (Jerry) Orr is survived by his wife Marilyn (Spearman), whom he married in 1970, and his children Tim and Kristina, and their families,
[Information sources: Pat Roberts, Bruce Musgrave, Teresa Marchildon, Glenn Robitaille, Elaine Nagy and Marilyn Orr] |
