John Orahood

John Louis Orahood, age 85, passed away peacefully in Houston, Texas, on March 27, 2019, surrounded by his family. He was born on April 29, 1933, to Gilbert (Gib) and Mary Gasbarro Orahood, in Columbus, Ohio. An only child, he was beloved by his family and had a wonderful childhood. He met the love of his life, Ruth Vivian Meckel, and they married June 12, 1955. Their 63 year marriage was a love story for all to witness, and even when John could not verbalize many sentiments, he managed to “tell” his Ruthie that he loved her, right up to the end.

John was a proud graduate of THE Ohio State University, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering. A lifelong learner and a curious mind led him to receive dual Masters Degrees from SMU in Finance and Real Estate, while juggling a full time job and five daughters. He started his career with Union Carbide in West Virginia. He was called to active duty in the Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton Ohio and returned to Union Carbide after he was discharged from service. In 1960 he was transferred to Brownsville, Texas, to continue his profession as a mechanical engineer. John’s career spanned across Texas from Dimmitt, to Midland, and Dallas - one of his favorite cities. During his career, he developed several patents and encouraged many co-workers to further their education and careers. In 1975, he moved his family to Houston and worked for Sergeant Oil and Gas and retired from Advanced Aromatics. At every company for which he worked, John was admired for his intelligence, his honesty, his creative thinking, and his encouragement of others. These characteristics earned him the respect of his co-workers in every setting. Always a humble man, it wasn’t until later in life that his children realized how well-regarded he was by so many who were lucky enough to work with him.

There are very few people who could claim the extensive list of hobbies that John enjoyed! He loved all things mechanical and collected old cars, with the idea of restoring them. He enjoyed hunting and was thrilled when his first son-in-law shared that same love! He received his HAM radio license and relished connecting with other operators around the country. His collection of all types of radios was a particular passion in his later years. John’s curiosity was a hallmark of his personality, and it led to many interesting adventures and conversations with all sorts of people. An avid reader, John was rarely seen at home without a book in his hand. He could simultaneously read a book, watch a TV show, and converse with a room full of people! In addition to his obvious intelligence, he was very witty and kept his friends and family laughing all the time. But if you were to ask his family what his best quality was, they would all say his sweet and loving nature. There was not a day that went by that he wasn’t telling someone how much he loved them, or how proud he was of them, or helping someone in some way…his Dallas grandchildren were known to travel to Houston to get Grandpa to help with their Science Fair projects! His love for his family was an incredible blessing. Probably his biggest gift to his daughters was never, ever stating that he was disappointed to not have a son, even when people made jokes of that nature. The adoration he showed to his family was returned wholeheartedly, especially at the end of his life when he needed extensive care.

John is survived by his loving wife, Ruth; his five daughters and sons-in-law: Barbara and Rich Daniel, Cathy (McConnaughey) Jensen and Steve, Judi and Dean Stewart, Laura and Todd Dusthimer, Carol and Keith Cline; his fifteen grandchildren: Caroline Daniel, Laura Daniel Bailey (Brennan), John Daniel ( Ally), Katie and Will McConnaughey, Shawn Belyeu (Flor), Ryan and Paige Dusthimer, Patrick and Jack Cline, Ryan and Lila Jensen, Teddy Stewart (Memory), Cody Stewart, Joey Stewart (Janna); and his seven great-grandchildren: Luke Bailey, Vivian Belyeu, Kathrine Cuellar, Dakota Bomnskie, Kyle Stewart, Dacala Gardner, and Zoei and Kailey Stewart.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Gib and Mary, and his beloved son-in-law, Murphy McConnaughey. His grandsons will be his pallbearers. Visitation will be from 5:00-8:00 PM on Friday, April 5th, at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, with the funeral on Saturday, April 6th at 11:00 AM, followed by the burial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s memory to Be an Angel www.beanangel.org, or Texas Scottish Rite Hospital www.scottishritehospital.org or a charity of one’s choice. The family would like to thank Kim and the Senior Helpers staff, especially Laura and Melisha, for their loving care of John over the past four years.