Posted by Terry Powers on April 12, 2023:

George S. Orton 1949 Cullum No. 17314-1949 | August 10, 2010 | Died in Columbia, SC Cremated. Remains to be scattered at a later date. By personal desire and family tradition, George Soliday Orton wanted to go to West Point and have a military career. George was the son of Dorothy Evelyn Graves and Colonel William Rutledge Orton, Class of 1914. His uncle, (his mother's brother) Sidney Graves, was also a graduate of the Academy, Class of 1915. His grandfather, General William Sidney Graves, Class of 1889, led the 1919 U.S. Siberian Expeditionary Force and had many fascinating assignments abroad, of­ten accompanied by his wife, Katherine Boyd Graves. Other ancestors served with distinction in the military, earning many awards and decorations including the Medal of Honor, several Distinguished Service Medals, and one Distinguished Service Cross. So, the military life was in his genes. It was 1949 by the time George real­ized his ambition, graduated as an infan­try officer, completed the basic course at Ft. Benning, married his life partner, Joan Hodgkinson, and learned he would be as­signed to duty in the Korean Conflict. Then fate intervened. He developed serious stom­ach ulcers and, after a long diagnostic period in Tokyo General, was returned to Walter Reed General Hospital for treatment and, finally, separation from the Army. Classmate Ray Drummond, a good friend who had been medically separated at graduation, joined the Central Intelligence Agency and arranged a successful interview for George at the CIA. Thus, George be­came a part of another important branch of Federal Service, where he remained for more than 25 years. Also during this pe­riod, George and Joan completed their family. Daughter Deborah was born in February 1951 while George was still in Korea. William came along in May 1952, and Thomas in October 1953. George al­ways said that his family was the most im­portant event of his life. George and Joanie enjoyed their ser­vice with the CIA very much. Assigned to the agency facility at Camp Peary, near Williamsburg, VA, they were able to build their home in Springfield, VA, while Joan worked for a congressman on Capitol Hill and part time as a reporter. By 1958, George was posted to London, where they lived first in Wimbledon and then across from Hyde Park. George delighted in walking to work across Hyde Park and especially enjoyed their side trips to Holland and Paris. The family capped this assignment with a lux­urious trip home on the luxury liner S.S. United States. In 1960 the family was posted to Saipan, a 46-square-mile island in the Pacific near Guam. George spent much of his time on temporary duty in Vietnam, where he once actually bumped into his good friend and classmate Dave Bolte and muttered "Excuse me," before he realized who he was. Meanwhile, his children played on the beautiful beaches of Saipan and attended school in their bare feet, and Joan enjoyed the spectacular sunset views from their house on the island's only hill. They remained in the Far East for their next assignment in Taipei, Taiwan. This was interesting work for George and a much better life for Joan with a live-in house-boy and his wife for the household chores and frequent trips to Hong Kong for shopping. Best of all, there was the long, leisurely re­turn home by way of Hong Kong, Hawaii, Italy, Germany Spain and France, includ­ing many visits with friends along the way. Home was McLean, VA, where George rounded out his full career, his children became successful young men and wom­an, and Joan became deeply involved in genealogical work with the Daughters of the American Revolution and many other organizations. George and Joan followed son William through his own West Point career and graduation in 1973; daughter Deborah's progress at Mary Washington College; and son Thomas' progress through the University of South Carolina. George retired in Williamsburg in 1976. William went on to receive a Ph.D. in Gifted Elementary Education from William and Mary and currently teaches in North Carolina. Deborah worked as a secretary for the CIA and at Peterson AFB, CO, and retired in Colorado. Thomas received his MBA from the University of South Carolina and has had a long career working for SCANA as a computer analyst in South Carolina. Opting for a kinder climate, the Ortons moved to Hilton Head in 1988 and became even more deeply involved with their work in many genealogical or­ganizations, including the DAR, SAR and CAR, with George becoming SAR Chapter President in 1992. They also caught up with Teddy and Neal Judd and spent many a good time with them at their lovely home and on their classic sailboat. George battled Multiple Sclerosis for many years, but in his later years he was plagued with increasing health problems that required a final move to Columbia, SC. Throughout these experi­ences, George maintained a stoic grace, his easy smile and fine sense of humor, all of which was greatly aided by his loving wife and children. Eventually, however, he was overcome by MS and passed away at his home in Columbia on Aug 10, 2010.

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