James Robert Orth

James was born in Kansas City, Kansas at St. Margaret’s Hospital to Leo and Genevieve (Chontos) Orth on July 25, 1944. He completed Grade school at Christ the King Elementary and Bishop Ward High in KC, KS. He graduated from Rockhurst University in KC, MO in 1966. He later earned his Master’s degree in Safety from CMSU in Warrensburg.

He served in the Army in Vietnam from 1967 – 1968. After returning to Kansas City, he worked for Safety Inc. as a salesman for several years. He transferred to the Safety Dept of Farmland Industries in Kansas City, Mo where he was commended for saving a burning elevator by climbing inside of it to extinguish the fire.

After the Farmland dissolution, he was hired by the State of Kansas Safety Division and was a traveling Safety Inspector of State of Kansas Facilities. His favorite job was working at AIB (American Institute of Baking) from Manhattan, Kansas. He traveled to inspect all their member bakeries from the continental U.S. to Hawaii.

After retirement, he became a part-time Reservist in Safety for FEMA. He was on call to go to help set up offices for disaster relief incidents. He worked all the major hurricanes from New Orleans to Guam as well as the NYC disaster of 9/11. He was still a logistics FEMA reservist at the time of his death.

James is survived by his wife of 43 years, Jane; his brother Leo J. Orth of KCKs; his sister, Judy Orth of Olathe, Kansas; and sister, Janet (Mike) Peterson of Gardner, Kansas.

He is also survived by nieces and nephews that he considered as his own; Sara (Mike) Beane and their two sons, Patrick and Ryan. Katie and Cordell Ballew and their children, Joe, Ella and Addie. Kenny and Sarah Lee and their sons, Davis and Conner. Brenda and Russ Arntt and their sons, Alex and Jason. Doug Lee and sons, Preston and Holden. Larry and Regina Fotovich and their children, Emma, Laura and Leo. Kristi Marquardt and her children, Natalie, Kallyn, Ian and Andee.

Any memorials in his name are at the donor’s discretion.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mcgilleyantiochchapel.com for the Orth family.