Merrie-Woode Remembers Mr. Fritz Orr, Jr.
The Merrie-Woode family is saddened by the passing of Fritz Orr, Jr. He died peacefully on October 12, 2015 after a long illness at the age of 81. The Orr family and close friends gathered on Friday, October 16, 2015 for a small graveside service at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. On this beautiful fall afternoon, family and friends spoke passionately and lovingly about the influence Fritz Orr had on so many young people during his life. They spoke of his strong faith and his devotion to his wife of sixty years, Dottie Orr, and his legacy at Camp Merrie-Woode. As a devout Presbyterian, he later served as the Director of Camp Calvin in Hampton, Georgia for many years and as a trustee of the Quitman Presbyterian Home where he enjoyed spending the last few years of his life.
Fritz Orr, III spoke of his father’s love of the outdoors, his early days of operating a farm in Palmetto, Georgia, before coming to Camp Merrie-Woode with Dottie as the Assistant Directors under the leadership of Augusta and Fritz Orr, Sr. Fritz and Dottie continued and strengthened Camp Merrie-Woode’s traditions and programs during their eleven years as Executive Directors from 1968-1978. Fritz and Dottie created an atmosphere that encouraged each camper and counselor in personal growth, contact with the natural world in Merrie-Woode’s beautiful setting, and an environment in which Christianity is modeled and permeates all aspects of Camp life. They provided opportunities for advancement of skills for young girls and women in high adventure sports typically reserved for boys and men.
Fritz and Dottie were instrumental in preserving Camp Merrie-Woode for future generations by providing, at considerable personal sacrifice, the Merrie-Woode Foundation with the opportunity to acquire the camp and save it from development. With the greatest appreciation and gratitude, the Board of Trustees of the Merrie-Woode Foundation, Inc. recognized the lifetime efforts of Fritz and Dottie Orr on behalf of the camp at the camp’s 95th celebration in 2013. Fritz Orr, Jr. and Dottie Orr will be remembered and honored in years to come for preserving, celebrating, and strengthening the relationships that help to nurture young women to be the best that they can be.
In recent years, Lindsay Garner Hostetler, Mary Davis McLendon Smart, and Henri Dibrell Brown were able to visit with Fritz and Dottie Orr and included below is a video of a few minutes of the interview and a few words from the Spring 2013 Merrie-Woode Front Page News article, “Revisiting Merrie-Woode With the Orrs.”
From the Spring 2013 CMW Newsletter:
“Fritz and Dottie devoted more than a decade to running Merrie-Woode. They fostered a nurturing environment, and they encouraged both campers and counselors to challenge themselves in ways that would strengthen their character. They poured as much dedication into developing their counselors as they did their campers.
It is because of Fritz and Dottie Orr’s selfless decision that Merrie-Woode is still here today. Merrie-Woode could have had the same story as countless other camps across the country and shut down in the 1970s and 1980s, never to reopen again. Instead, the Orrs stepped up to the plate and decided to save an organization with a spirit they believed in, preserving Merrie-Woode for generations of girls to come. Every camper who has called the shores of Lake Fairfield home since then owes a piece of their treasured camp experience to Fritz and Dottie.
Listening to Fritz and Dottie today, it is clear they still hold a deep affection and love for Merrie-Woode and the generations of campers who have come through her gates. And so, Fritz and Dottie, we, as an entire camp community say thank you.”
Join us in remembering Fritz Orr, Jr. and his family in your prayers. If you would like to drop Dottie a note, please email denice@merriewoode.com for her mailing address.
Denice and Jim Dunn