Edward J Orth Jr.

Born on December 26, 1934, in Birmingham, AL, Ed was the oldest child of Edward and Leona Orth. He attended John Carrol High School and was in their first class to graduate in 1951 after attending all four years. Ed earned his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Notre Dame in 1955. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 1958 with a Master of Sciences in electrical engineering with specialization in the emerging field of computer science and was a registered Professional Engineer in Mississippi and Alabama. He also earned a Master of Education in Counseling from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 1982. Ed worked for Southern Company Services from 1955 to 1970 when he transferred to the Alabama Power Company and eventually retired in 1988. He spent 30 years working as a lineman, electrical and computer engineer and Manager of Corporate Planning Services and was respected for his teamwork, dedication, and expertise.

Ed met the love of his life, Marie Orth, and they were married on June 25, 1960. Through 63 years of marriage, they were blessed with two children, Joe and John who were born in 1964 and 1966, respectively, and two grandchildren, Dylan and Emmitt, who were born in 1997 and 2002. Ed was dedicated to his family and always enjoyed spending time with them, especially at the beach or in the mountains. Ed will be remembered for his love of family, his dogs, desire to make the world a better place and dry sense of humor.

Ed had a diverse range of interests and hobbies throughout his life including camping and hiking, automobile restoration and maintenance, and photography. He was an active member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers, National Management Association and American Society for Training and Development. He was also a member of various nationwide utility industry committees and authored several technical papers on engineering and computer subjects. He was also a volunteer in various community projects and particularly enjoyed volunteer photography work for Wyoming Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy and Wild Alabama. Ed had a deep personal interest in supporting others in discovering how to make their lives and organization work uproariously in a ‘we all win’ context and enjoyed exploring the connections between mental, physical and spiritual well-being along with family, music, old cars, reading and the outdoors.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Leona Orth, and his younger sister, Roselyn Purcell. He is survived by his wife, Marie Orth; his sons Joe and John Orth; his grandchildren Dylan and Emmitt and many other family and friends who will miss him dearly.

Visitation will be at St Francis Xavier Church (2 Xavier Circle, Birmingham, AL) on Friday December 13 at 10am, followed by the mass at 11am.

Please share any tributes, expressions of love and encouragement, or stories honoring Ed on the Ridout's Valley Chapel obituary page. Every message will be read and received by the family with love and gratitude.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts to be made in Ed’s memory to The Nature Conservancy or Ducks Unlimited.

Services are under the direction of Ridout’s Valley Chapel (https:/www.ridoutsvalleychapel.com, 205/879-3401) in Homewood, AL.