Obituary of William Orn

William "Bill" Reino Orn Jr., age 64, of Mesquite, NV, passed away in his home on December 10, 2015 following a courageous battle with colon cancer. Bill was born in Minneapolis on September 8, 1951 to William and Marguerite Orn, and was raised in Coon Rapids, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Katherine Doran and sister-in-law Cheryl Orn. He is survived by his wife Lisa Holt, step-daughters, Katie and Sara Walsh; sons by his first marriage to Lora Lee Mettler, Jason, Benjamin, and James Orn; brothers Gerald and Roger (Elaine), brother-in-law, Robert Doran, grandchildren and extended family. Bill left the states to attend Ambassador College U.K. and graduated in 1974 with a degree in Liberal Studies. While at college he took advantage of his location and traveled to France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Germany, Poland, Yugoslavia, Greece and Italy. He learned to downhill ski in the Austrian Alps and he participated in a two-month archaeological dig in Jerusalem. After college he returned to the U.S. and in 1974 began working for 3M. He married Lisa Holt in 2000 and helped raise Katie and Sara at their home on Big Carnelian Lake north of Stillwater, MN. In 2007, after 32 ½ years with 3M, he was fortunate to be able to take early retirement. During his career he worked in Supply Chain Management and Information Technology. In retirement, Bill and Lisa enjoyed traveling, tennis, downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking and life on the lake boating, fishing and listening to the loons. In 2014, Bill and Lisa relocated to Mesquite, NV to escape Minnesota’s harsh winters and summer humidity. Bill enjoyed the warm winter in Nevada by soaking up the sun on the two outdoor patios and taking walks without the need to bundle up in layers of outerwear. He also studied xeriscaping and picked out desert plants for the yard. In March he got to sit back, relax and watch with great interest as the landscapers transformed the yard. In addition to the many activities Bill enjoyed, his interests also included stamp and coin collecting, astronomy, archeology, reading, crossword puzzles and playing cards. He was an enthusiastic genealogist researching via the internet and traveling to track down family records at churches, county seats and historical societies. A few family trips included stops to explore cemeteries looking for ancestors’ graves to document. He regularly volunteered at the Washington County Historical Society in Stillwater as a tour guide. He also was a regular volunteer in various ministries at Christ Lutheran Church in Marine on St. Croix, MN. A memorial service honoring Bill’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church, 2020 W Lake of the Isles Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN. Visitation one hour prior to service. Officiated by Pastor Arden Haug.