Omar Oliver Orr: March 7, 1924 - May 20, 2010

Long-time Newport Beach resident Omar O. Orr has passed away after a relatively brief illness. Omar was born March 7, 1924 in Los Angeles to Jesse Theron and Rebekah Parker Orr and grew up in Huntington Park. He was graduated from Huntington Park High School where he earned first team All-Eastern League and second team All-LA City honors in basketball. That won him a scholarship to the University of Southern California to play under the legendary Sam Barry until he enlisted in the Army during World War II. He served in the Pacific Theater with the 163rd regiment of the 41st Infantry Division rising to the rank of master sergeant.

Upon honorable discharge from the Army he attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he met and married the former Melody Hefty. They returned to Los Angeles and USC in preparation for the birth of their first son. They settled in Corona del Mar in 1951 where they raised their three sons and one daughter.

Omar’s career in the packaging business spanned almost sixty years including over thirty years with Menasha/Weyerhauser and almost thirty as the founder/owner of CF&F Packaging. He was also one of the great coaches for the Harbor Area Boys’ Club little league!

He married the former Carol Shaffer in 1968 and they later adopted a son from San Felipe, Mexico.

“The Big O” was a fixture in Newport Beach/Corona del Mar for all of the area’s formative post-war years and the first chair of the board of governors of the Newport Beach Yacht Club. He is survived by both Melody and Carol; a brother Ray and wife Marguerite; two sons, Dan and wife Cathy of Coronado and Dave and wife Donna of Carlsbad, and a daughter Diane of Corona del Mar. A son, Doug, preceded him in death. He is also survived by his adopted son Jaime Paniagua; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and two nephews.

A party in his honor will be held Saturday, June 12 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Newport Beach Yacht Club.