John Henry Orange Jr., Ph.D., visiting assistant professor in the Department of Finance and Decision Sciences and former director of prospect research for Alumni Relations and Development, died on September 11, 2023. He was 76.
Orange came to Trinity University in 2009, where he worked until 2014 as an assistant director in the Office of Institutional Research. From 2014-20, he was the director of prospect research for Alumni Relations and Development. In Fall 2020, he became a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Finance and Decision Sciences. He was the consummate scholar, researcher, and dedicated professional. Orange has also been described as a warrior, fighting an aggressive cancer for about five years while continuing to work, all the way until about four months before he died.
Orange’s Christian roots are in the Methodist Church and began at a very early age. He has been a devoted member of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church for the past 25 years or more. Orange served on the Church Vestry in leadership positions many times during his tenure.
Although, at the time, the Vietnam War was a raging source of controversy and conflict, it did not deter Orange from joining the Army in 1966. He completed basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri and advanced training at Fort Ord in California and in Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Orange was a superior welder and quickly became an army military welding instructor and achieved a rank of SP4. In 1967-69, he bravely fought in the Vietnam War in the 4th Infantry Division in Pleiku and the 32nd Medical Depot in Cam Ranh Bay.
Orange’s own educational journey began after graduating from Sumner High School in St.
Louis. He earned the following degrees: an Associate of Science in business administration at St. Louis Community College, a Bachelor of Science in mathematics at Washington University, a Master in Business Administration at St. Louis University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in decision sciences at St. Louis University. His will and desire to learn inspired his family and those around him.
Outside of work, Orange was inducted into the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Beta Nu chapter,
at Harris Teachers College in St. Louis in 1964. He served as president of the Scrollers Club from 1964-65, captain of Ship Chaos as Dog Rebel in 1965, and Strategus from 1965-66. From 1978-80, John was a member of the St. Louis Alumni Chapter. From 2009-23, John was a member of the San Antonio Alumni Chapter. He served as the chairman of the Senior Kappa Affairs Committee from 2018-20.
Orange is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his children, Traci Lynn Orange Hodges, Timothy John Orange, Tisha Iceola Orange Davis, and Teresa Alma Orange; his grandchildren, Amoree Hodges, Trinity Hodges, Tevin Orange, Raphael Orange, and Simone Orange; his sister Johanna Smith; his cousins, Leonard and Naomi Burton, Paula Moseley, Mary Wilde Brown, Matt Brown, and Frieda Brown; and his in-laws and friends, including the Montgomery family, the Pates, the Easleys, the Gladneys, the Jordans, the McNairs, the Parkers, and the Polsons.
Thank you to the Orange family for their significant contributions to this obituary.
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