Mr. Orville G. Grauerholz's Obituary
Orville George Grauerholz, 95, of Houston, TX passed away on Friday, March 18, 2016.
Orville was born on a farm in Athol, Kansas to Fred and Frieda Grauerholz on February 15, 1921. He attended school for seven years in Athol, Kansas before he and his family moved to Temple, Texas in 1936. He graduated from Temple High School in May 1940. He graduated from the University of Houston with an associate technical degree in Electronics in 1942. From 1942 to 1945, he served as a Radar Repairman in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII in the Northern France and Rhineland Campaigns in Europe. He was honorably discharged in 1945. He married his beautiful wife Doris in 1951 and their son, Gary was born in 1954. In the mid-1960s he returned to the University of Houston where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics Engineering Technology in 1967. Many years later, he was honored in a U of H Technology College 70 year anniversary ceremony on campus as the oldest living graduate of the program.
He was employed by the U.S. Government Federal Aviation Administration in Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida and Texas as an Electronic Engineer for 37 years, retiring in 1986. Orville spent 30 years as a leader in the Boy Scouts. He received the Silver Beaver Award which is the highest honor as a Scout Leader from U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1988. Orville also served as a trustee, a member of Administrated Board and served on the Building Committee of Park Place United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Frieda Grauerholz; sister, Arlene Henning, her husband Forest Lee “Red” and nephew Ricky Henning.
Orville is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Doris Clark Grauerholz; son, Gary Grauerholz and his fiancé Haydee Cruz; grandchildren, Jeremy Grauerholz and Rebecca and Sergio Fuentes, Zeyhla Cruz, Jaime and Reyna Cruz and great-grand daughter Vida; nieces and nephews, Vicki and Billy Ray Roesler, Lynda and Don Gunter and Larry Hutchinson.
The family will receive friends on Monday, March 21, 2016 from 5:00-8:00 PM at Southpark Funeral Home, 1310 North Main St. Pearland, TX 77581. Funeral services will be held at 12:30 PM, Tuesday, March 22, 2016 in the funeral home chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Servants of Christ United Methodist Church in memory of Orville Grauerholz at http://servantsnow.org/.
What’s your fondest memory of Orville?
What’s a lesson you learned from Orville?
Share a story where Orville's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Orville you’ll never forget.
How did Orville make you smile?
