Stephen Orr

Captain Stephen Cornell Orr died Oct. 18, 2019 at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage due to a heart attack & many years of medical complications. He will be remembered warmly as a "Gentle Giant" who will leave in his wake a huge hole in the heart of his family, community & the world.
Born March 16, 1944 & raised on Whidbey Island, Wash., Steve was a star athlete at Langley High School in track, basketball & particularly football. A graduate of the class of 1962, he remains the only athlete from South Whidbey to receive a full ride football scholarship to the University of Washington. Following graduation, Steve was drafted into the NFL where he continued his football career to play professionally under Tom Landry for the Dallas Cowboys & later for the Seattle Rangers while serving in the Army
Reserves.
Following his storied athletic career, Steve was hired as a tugboat deckhand by Crowley Maritime where he worked for 42 years, growing through the ranks, traveling the world & advancing to Captain in the Alaska tug fleet & of the beautiful yacht, the MV Olympus. He became a legend within the company for his work ethic & loyalty. An expert on Alaska waterways, Capt. Orr retired in 2013 as Marine Superintendent.
Admired for his physical feats, Steve was beloved for his character strengths. He was a role model to his daughters, nieces & nephews, countless employees, friends, teammates & co-workers. He was everyone's friend and champion until the end.
In 2004, at the age of 60, Steve met his greatest physical challenge when he suffered a MRSA infection in his spinal column which left the 6 foot 6 inch former defensive lineman a paraplegic. With the support of countless medical staff, coaches & friends he painstakingly trained for over a year to regain the use of his arms and legs & returned to work full-time, a feat that was thought unimaginable by most of his doctors. Steve and his beloved dog Poppit walked the trail around Taku Lake in Anchorage daily until the time of his retirement. A memorial bench will be installed on the lake trail next summer.
Our wonderful "Papa" is survived by his wife, Donna; daughters, Susanna Orr & Sharon Stubbs, son-in-law Josh Stubbs; grandchildren, Kiana, Madison, Everett, Jackson & bonus grandchildren Sullivan and Elizabeth. He also leaves behind siblings, a lifetime of extended family, friends & his constant companion of nearly 20 years, his cat Bella. He is preceded in death by his parents, Helen & Martin Orr; son-in-law, Jason Moore; wonderful dog, Poppit; & was welcomed with open arms by his beloved Coach Jim Leierer who made him believe that anything was possible.
Services will be held on Whidbey Island, which was homesteaded by his great-grandfather, on July 19, 2020 & followed by a burial of his ashes in his family's plot: additional details to follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions towards "Papa's" memorial bench celebrating his lifelong strength & stubborn Norwegian determination would be appreciated. These can be made online by visiting gofundme.com and searching for "Captain Steve Orr".