LTC James Edward Orth

Lt.Col. James Edward Orth, retired, 82, of Lady Lake, Fla., died Wednesday, September 20, 2000.

Surviving are his wife, W. Catherine Orth; one daughter, Sharon Talbot of Gahanna, Ohio; four sons, James Alfred Orth of Westerville, Ohio, Paul James Orth of Chattanooga, Tenn., Jeffrey E. Orth of San Francisco, Calif., and Pete A. Orth of Dallas, Texas; one stepdaughter, Betty Ann Jamieson of Vidalia, Ga.; two stepsons, Andrew Daniels Jr. of Hawkinsville, Ga., and Danny Ray Daniels of Woodruff, S.C.; three sisters, Mildred McCall of Butler, Pa., Phyllis Sparks of Wheelersburg, Ohio and Dora Mae Huffman of Portsmouth, Ohio; one brother P. Thomas Orth of Portsmouth, Ohio; 11 grand children; six stepgrandchildren; and six great grandchildren.

A native of Winchester, Ohio, he had moved in 1988 to Lady Lake from Laguna Beach, Fla. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Panama City Beach, Fla., and attended the Northside Christian Church in Fruitland Park, Fla.

He served more than 31 years first in the Army Air Corps and then with the U.S. Air Force. He was a command pilot and veteran of WWII and Korean War and flew 123 missions over North Vietnam as a pilot with the 42nd Electronic Warfare Squadron Stationed in Thailand.

Among his many awards and decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters, the Commendation Medal with oak leaf clusters, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with two battle stars and the Meritorious Service Medal. His duty stations included many posts in the U.S. as well as considerable foreign service in Europe, North Africa and Southeast Asia. Col. Orth was past president of the Robins Air Force Base Scuba Diving Club, past president of Panama City Chapter of the Retired Officers Association and member of the Lake Arts Chapter, a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans.

He was a 32nd Degree Mason and Shriner for more than 40 years, charter member of the Shaddai Shrine Temple of Panama City and a member of Lake County Shrine Club.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Beyers Funeral Home, 134 North Highway 27/441, Lady Lake, with Ed Kelley, minister, officiating, and interment in Florida National Cemetery at Bushnell, Fla., with full military honors by the McDill Air Force Base Honor Guard. Inscription: LTCOL, US AIR FORCE WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 11 2018, 11:08:34 UTC