James (Jim) Richard Orso

James "Jim" Richard Orso

James Richard Orso passed away peacefully in the late afternoon of February 22, 2023, his 69th birthday. Jim was surrounded by family and comforted by his wife at Creamery Creek Senior Living in Viroqua, Wisconsin, where caretakers lovingly tended to Jim the last two and a half years of his life.

Jim Orso was born in Richmond Heights, Missouri, on February 22, 1954. Growing up in Berkeley, north of St. Louis, Jim was the fifth of nine children of Joe and Joyce (Lyons) Orso.

He took to music in his early years, heavily influenced by his older brothers and parents, and teaching guitar to many of his siblings. Playing football in high school for the Aquinas Falcons, he met Anne Meyers in the library during his senior year. Jim liked to recount that Anne went to one of his football games after they started dating, and when he asked her afterwards how she liked it, she responded that it was "about an inning too long." Jim and Anne married in 1974.

Jim's married life quickly turned to fatherhood with the birth of three sons between 1977 and 1980. His devotion to his family and his Catholic faith was apparent to all who knew him. He led frequent family camping trips to Sam Baker State Park in Missouri, adventures on the great Cuivre River with his sons, and outings to St. Louis Cardinals baseball games. Like his own father, Jim was naturally handy around the house, fixing appliances, remodeling rooms, building an addition and laying a patio. An avid guitar player, Jim was known to croon his young boys to sleep with favorite tunes from John Prine and Bob Dylan. He was a lover of words and especially poetry, often reading poems by Sylvia Plath, T.S. Eliot, Shakespeare and others with his family. All who received even a short card from Jim knew the power of his concise, nostalgic, heartfelt style. He was also a Missouri Tigers basketball fan and an accomplished grade school basketball coach. In 1989, he coached his three sons on the same team to a 10-0 record with the St. Mary's Bobcats.

Jim graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1976. After starting out as a reporter at The Intelligencer in Edwardsville, Illinois, Jim became a reporter and editor with the St. Louis Globe Democrat. Later, he worked as a partner with public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard, and finally as communications director for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. A former newspaper colleague once remarked that while Jim's talent and passion for journalism could have taken him to any newspaper in the country, everyone in the newsroom knew family was always more important to Jim than his career.

In retirement, Jim was active at St. Gabriel the Archangel parish in St. Louis, helping lead retreats, and leaving the prayer "Come, Holy Spirit" on the lips of many. He encountered early-onset Alzheimer's in his early 50s, and moved to Wisconsin with Anne in 2016 to be near family. When Jim moved into Creamery Creek, his daughter-in-law Adrianne joined the staff there, where she tended to Jim and the other residents with devotion and care. Even though he spoke fewer words in his final years, he continued to profoundly move many through his deep gaze, his gentle presence and his guitar-playing.

From his early days in life through his later years experiencing dementia, Jim always brought people together with his loving spirit, his welcoming demeanor, and his passion for music. He cherished spending time in nature, having a special fondness for the moon. For years, he prayed the rosary weekly with his St. Gabe's men's group, and often shared with others the simple notion that "God is love" (1 John 4:16). He continued to express this teaching in so many ways until his final breath, and even after.

Fortified with the sacraments, Jim left this world on his 69th birthday, which was also Ash Wednesday. Family and friends gathered to mourn the loss of Jim and honor his life on February 26, 2023. He was laid to rest on the family land in Viola, Wisconsin.

Jim is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Anne; his three sons Jim Orso, Matt (Jenny) Orso, and Joe (Adrianne) Orso; his grandchildren Jack, Edie, Harper, Gabe, Bernadette, William, Siporah, and Wendell; and seven of his siblings, Joe (Linda) Orso, Tom (Sue) Orso, Mike (Kathy) Orso, Angela (Paul) Sheffner, Theresa (John) Smythe, Charlie (Joan) Orso, Barb (Mark) Thibodeau. Jim is preceded in death by his parents Joe and Joyce Orso; his brother Paul (Kathy) Orso; and his mother- and father-in-law, Marilyn and Eugene Meyers.

Donations can be sent to either of two places:

1. Threshold Care Circle, a local group of volunteers who support people in doing home funerals and were immensely helpful to Jim's family. https://www.thresholdcarecircle.org/

2. Bethel Butikk, a very small, volunteer-run thrift store that provides much support to the needy in the Viroqua area with a food pantry, help with utilities, etc. To donate here, make a check out to Anne Orso, which she'll pass on to them:

Anne Orso

E10627 Gore Hollow Rd.

Viola, WI 54664