Eleanor Elizabeth Orr, lovingly known as “Nana” to far more than just her grandchildren, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2026, surrounded by family and loved ones. Born on April 3, 1927, in Marshfield, she was the daughter of Ralph and Amy (Bailaw) Wells. Eleanor graduated from Marshfield High School in 1945 and married Stanley Orr on August 18 that year. Together, they built a life centered on hard work, family, and community, running a hardware store and Orr’s Plumbing and Heating business while raising four children.
In 1959, Eleanor and Stanley opened Orr’s Ark in Waitsfield, a beloved ski inn that welcomed travelers from around the world for 13 years. Eleanor’s warmth, cooking, humor, and the gifts of storytelling and joke-telling turned guests into lifelong friends.
A devoted member of the UCC Church and active in her community, Eleanor enjoyed knitting, quilting, traveling, and gathering people around her table. She and Stanley spent decades of retirement traveling in their Airstream, wintering in Arizona, and taking many memorable trips to Alaska. For the past 12 years, Eleanor spent winters in Florida with her daughter Debbie, where she once again stole the hearts of all who met her. No matter how far she traveled, Radcliff Drive in Waitsfield was always home.
Eleanor was a remarkably strong woman who endured the heartbreaking loss of three of her four children, carrying that grief with grace and resilience throughout her life. She leaves a legacy of strength, perseverance, and the ability to bring light to others through humor and laughter. To be cherished the way she was as “Nana” is a legacy her grandchildren and great-grandchildren hope to one day reflect in their own families. After a wonderful 99 years, her family finds comfort in knowing she is reunited with those she loved and missed so much.
She is survived by her daughter, Debbie Orr; seven grandchildren, Jeremy Orr, Heidi Avila, Ramsey Orr, Zachary Mostov, Jake Mostov, Kane Rooney, and Maggie Warrick; eight great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Stanley Orr, and her children Brian Orr, Peggy Rooney, and Reggie Orr, all of Waitsfield.
A private graveside burial service will be held at the Common Cemetery. Family and friends are warmly invited to attend a Celebration of Life on June 7, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, 115 Carroll Road, Waitsfield, VT.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mad River Valley Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 305, Waitsfield, VT 05673.
