Orville Stevens

On Oct. 9, 2019 Orv passed from this life onto his next journey with his Lord.

Born on July 20, 1934 to Seth and Mary (Wilton) Stevens Orv was the youngest of 5 children that included brothers Seth (Neva) and Roy and sisters Annette (Richard) Lockwood and Bonnie Jean (Lee) Finkbinder. In 1936 his father died and his mother married Walter Moore expanding the family with step siblings Walter (Bonnie) and Irene (Harold) Wolf. Orv never knew his father and proudly considered Walter to be his Dad. Walter and Mary had a son, Jay (Sally), completing the rather large and raucous household. Orv and his brothers were avid outdoorsmen and sportsmen and took every opportunity they could to hunt or get up a game. They went to deer camp in Seney, MI, in the U.P., for 60 years. Orv enjoyed “Most Favored Uncle” status with many of his 25 nieces and nephews. Walter and Jay are the only surviving siblings.

After a short stint in the army Orv married his “Sweetie” Dorothy May Myers on Sept. 14, 1957. They have been happily married for 62 years. His greatest joy and greatest source of pride were the academic, athletic, and professional accomplishments of their three children; Mark (Nan), Scott (Nina and son Seryozha) and Kaye (Doug) Rydberg. He worked for the “phone company” (Western Ele., Bell Telephone, and ATT) for 30 years which, in 1963, afforded him the opportunity to found The Rolling S Ranch in northern Pennfield Twp. The kids were raised on The Rolling S where Orv instilled in them a love and respect for the outdoors. They had too many horses, dogs, and cats to count and he taught them a work ethic, required in the care and feeding of the animals, that carries them to this day. Orv was happiest “just settin’ on his horse”.

Orv and Dorothy became members of the Pennfield Presbyterian Church in 1961 until they moved to California in 2014. He was elected and certified an elder and worked for the Presbytery at the state and national level. After moving they became members of the Lemon Cove Community Church in Lemon Cove, CA.

Orv was a selfless volunteer of his time and energy. For the churches he worked in the soup kitchen and the food pantry. He worked at the Battle Creek V.A. Hospital and the American Legion of Michigan, honored to serve those who had served his country. He was a member of the Barry Co. Sheriff's posse for more than 30 years and delighted in educating kids in the ways of horsemanship. He got a kick out of the nickname, Barney Fife, given to him by the deputies and fellow posse members. He coached little league baseball for the Urbandale Kiwanis for 15 years. He was a high school football official for more than 20 years stopping briefly when his sons began playing on Thursday and Friday nights. In 2016 Orv was inducted into the Pennfield Schools Athletic Hall of Fame for his service to the school. He was a member of the Board of Education, director of the Middle School Basketball Tournament for 25 years, past president of both the athletic and band boosters clubs, and announcer for basketball, football, and track, boys and girls. “GO GREEN” still echoes in the gyms and on the fields. The most common phrase heard from Orv during any of his volunteer endeavors was: “What can I do to help?”

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local food bank or soup kitchen.

 A Memorial Service will be held on October 16, 2019, 2:00 P.M. at the Lemon Cove Community Church , 32937 Sierra Drive, Lemon Cove, CA.

Arrangements by Smith Family Chapel, Exeter, Ca.  Condolences:www.smithfamilychapel.com

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